Bradley John inquest: Threats 'broke his spirit', says sister

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

A 14-year-old boy found hanged at his school was called names and had his horses threatened, his sister said.

"In the end I think it broke his spirit a bit," she added.

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

An inquest is taking place in the town hall, with his sister and grandmother describing incidents including someone spitting in his lunch.

Coroner's Officer Malcolm Thompson told the inquest Bradley was an "extremely talented horseman" who enjoyed show jumping. The hearing was told he "loved competing" and planned to attend equestrian college.

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

Bradley's sister described him as being happy when he started at the school, before the naming calling began.

Asked about a time she was given detention herself, she said she "did get in a temper" about how her brother was being treated and that she punched a boy, adding: "I decided to take it into my own hands to resolve it."

She described telling the headmaster a number of times, adding: "He was more interested in his emails. I felt I was wasting my time. I felt it with every other teacher."

On the day he died, she described hearing a call for Bradley mid-morning over the public-address system.

She said she knew his "safe place" was the toilets and when she heard a phone ringing from a cubicle, she told a teacher who found her brother.

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

Grandmother Mary June John said Bradley often stayed overnight with her and she described an incident where he went to bed early and she found him crying.

She encouraged him to report bullying to teachers but he said they took no notice.

"I was particularly concerned by another incident where a boy spat in his lunch," she added.

Step-mother Kate Pickard said: "Bradley was targeted and picked on, so he reacted.

"If he is being attacked, what he is supposed to do? Self defence."

Headmaster David Ashley Howells described a system of dealing with problems by different teachers depending on the seriousness, eventually being handled by himself.

He said in some of the incidents raised, Bradley was the instigator, but agreed one other pupil named was "challenging".

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

On the first day of the inquest, dad Byron John said his son, who had ADHD, had been bullied at two different secondary schools.

He told the inquest Bradley took medication for the condition while at Tycroes Primary School, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, where he was "lively and generally happy".

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

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

'Horrific' incidents

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.

Mr John said 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.

The four-day inquest continues.