Llanelli boy suffered 'horrific' bullying before death

Fourteen-year-old Bradley John died after being found at St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive in September 2018

A 14-year-old boy who was found hanged at his school suffered "horrific" bullying before his death, his father has told an inquest.

Bradley John died after being found in a toilet block at St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School in Llanelli in September 2018.

Byron John told the inquest his son, who had ADHD, had been bullied at two different secondary schools.

A four-day inquest into Bradley's death is taking place at Llanelli Town Hall.

Mr John told the inquest Bradley was diagnosed with ADHD, which he took medication for, while at Tycroes Primary School, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, where he was "lively and generally happy".

After leaving primary school, he initially attended Amman Valley Comprehensive, where Mr John said Bradley became "withdrawn" with older pupils seeking to provoke a reaction from him.

Bradley's father Byron John told the inquest his son had been bullied at two different secondary schools

Mr John said his son was "very easy to wind up" which "other pupils found fun".

The inquest heard Bradley left the school after his school clothes were scattered around the grounds of the school by older pupils, and other incidents of alleged bullying.

He subsequently moved to St John Lloyd Catholic Secondary School in Llanelli towards the end of July 2016 on a two-week trial.

Mr John said that his son suffered "horrific" incidents on the school bus where pieces of his school clothing went missing and he was beaten up.

He added his son's mobile phone was stolen and smashed in school.

Coroner's Officer Malcolm Thompson told the inquest Bradley was an "extremely talented horseman" who enjoyed show jumping, while Mr John told the inquest his son "loved competing" and planned to leave school to attend equestrian college.

Mr John said his son was "probably at his most confident and in the best place he had been in" between July and September 2018 and had enjoyed a family holiday during the summer break.

A memorial bench was unveiled at the David Broome Event Centre in Caldicot, where Bradley trained in showjumping

He told the inquest "everything was on the up" on the morning of 12 September, and the last thing Bradley had said to him was to ask for petrol for his quadbike.

Mr John said he received a text message at 11:54 that morning from his daughter to say Bradley had "skipped science".

He tried to ring the school and said they would get back to him. Ashley Howells, the head teacher, called Mr John to say Bradley "tried to take his own life and paramedics are with him".

Mr John went to the school and said there was a "heavy presence of medics and police". He then travelled to Morriston Hospital in Swansea where his son was being treated.

He said staff were "all trying" to save his son.

"I said 'don't stop'. I just wanted him to move or open his eyes," he said.

"It still doesn't seem real."

Bradley John attended St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School after leaving Amman Valley Comprehensive

Mr John was later questioned by Andrew Faux, representing the teachers at the St John Lloyd school, who drew attention to a letter sent from Bradley's technology teacher praising his "enthusiasm, dedication and effort".

But Mr John said Bradley was "not happy in school" and the school did not have the "full picture".

The inquest was shown CCTV footage of Bradley in a school corridor leaving a technology lesson on the morning he died.

Mr John told the inquest it was clear his son was upset in the images because he "had his hands in his sleeves" and was "not walking proudly".

'Mad about horses'

He was also questioned by Edward Ramsay, representing Carmarthenshire council, about how change was affecting his son as he began competing in both adult and junior show jumping events.

Mr John said Bradley was "growing up and getting his ADHD under control".

Family friend Stephanie Bonwell described Bradley as being "mad about horses and quads", and said he was bullied in school "because of his riding".

She said he felt "teachers didn't care and didn't do anything" about this and there was no point complaining.

The inquest also heard from another family friend Fiona McCulloch, who had known Bradley "since he was a baby".

She said he was a "normal little boy" and his ADHD was well controlled with the last medication he was prescribed before his death.

She told the inquest that Bradley had told her about "problems in school… and of instances when he was bullied" and he felt "nobody at the school was listening to him".

The inquest continues.