Student died 'after struggling in lockdown'

Harry Armstrong-Evans had been worried about his exam results, the inquest heard

A 21-year-old student died after emailing his university saying he was struggling mentally in the Covid-19 pandemic, an inquest has heard.

Harry Armstrong-Evans was in his final year at Exeter University when he died in June 2021.

In the previous month, he had contacted the wellbeing team and his tutor asking for help after failing exams.

His tutor told Cornwall Coroner's Court it was not deemed there was an immediate risk to his safety.

Prof Matthew Browning told the inquest that in Mr Armstrong-Evans' email at the end of May 2021, he had said: "I am a quiet person so writing to you and the welfare office does not come easily to me".

Physics and astrophysics student Mr Armstrong-Evans, from Launceston, described "significant problems" that had led to "an adverse affect on his mental health", including facing time in isolation during the pandemic, "worrying" about the Covid-19 virus, and his family's financial problems.

The inquest heard he was a "smart" student who had previously achieved results in line with a 2:1, but his exam results in the January 2021 lockdown "fell off a cliff edge" and were what he called "a culmination of my stresses".

Mr Armstrong-Evans died in June 2021

The inquest heard his email, which asked for assistance with retaking exams, did not warrant escalating the matter and contacting his parents, in line with the university policy.

Prof Browning said: "I am expressly forbidden from doing that.

"If I was concerned for an imminent risk to life, I would reach out to anybody and everybody I could."

This inquest was told Prof Browning had responded offering to meet him in person, while the wellbeing team had offered him the chance to re-sit the year.

Mr Armstrong-Evans' mother, Alice Armstrong-Evans, told the inquest she believed his death was "definitely as a result of these exams" and she "blamed academic staff" for not doing more, earlier.

While questioning Tim Harries, head of department, she said: "You should have contacted Harry and you should have said 'Hey mate what's going on here?'.

"Somebody should have contacted him."

Mr Harries said Mr Armstrong-Evans had been directly asked face-to-face about his poor results in January and met regularly with his "empathetic, caring" tutor.

"Harry couldn't bring himself to talk about it - until the email exchange."

He added: "We were all trying to do our best for Harry... I constantly think about how we could have engaged with Harry in a different way."

Det Con Richard Martin, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said Mr Armstrong-Evans was found dead on 24 June 2021 at his family home near Launceston, Cornwall and that "notes left at the scene indicated that Harry wished to take his own life".

The inquest in Truro continues on Friday.