Seren Bernard: Teenager felt she had 'no aspirations' before death

Seren Bernard was living with foster carers at the time of her death

A teenager said she had "no aspirations for the future" in the weeks leading up to her death, an inquest has heard.

Seren Bernard, 14, was found dead in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, in April 2012.

She had lived with foster carers Glen and Gemma Maghie from 9 December 2011 until her death in April 2012.

During the second day of the Milford Haven hearing, Mr Maghie said he was concerned about Seren's mental health after she made the comments to him.

The inquest also heard that Seren's boyfriend had ended their relationship on the day she disappeared.

Mr Maghie said they alerted the local authority about her comment and that social services were trying to get an urgent appointment with mental health experts.

But he added: "I think nobody realised how little time we had."

Crying and upset

Mrs Maghie said Seren told her husband in March that, if she wanted to, she could go to the Netherlands and get a lethal injection.

She said they had become increasingly frustrated an appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services was never arranged, but had never believed she would take her own life.

Eliah Aldred said in a statement he had been going out with Seren since early 2012, but sent her a text on 1 April to say he just wanted to be friends.

He said she had seemed upset and a bit angry in her replies, but her responses did not give him cause for concern.

He said they had met most days before that and she was "happy and normal", although "it was clear she didn't get on with her mother".

Hayley Louise Moore, a friend of Seren's, said she received a phone call from her the same day during which was she crying and upset, because her boyfriend had finished with her.

'Balancing act'

But she said she did not have the slightest clue what Seren was going to do.

The coroner has been examining events leading up to Seren's death from when she went missing for 10 days in September 2011, until she died seven months later.

On Monday, the hearing was told Seren suffered hallucinations and an imaginary friend told her to do things.

Her mother Sarah Pollock claimed her daughter's care was inadequate and said she had not received sufficient therapy.

Pembrokeshire council's barrister said the authority had to carry out a "difficult balancing act" because Seren had said she did not want to live with her family or have information passed to them.

A serious case review last year found Seren's death under the care of social services might not have been preventable, and police ruled out crime.

The inquest continues.