Boy, 13, who took his own life had faced taunts from classmates about sexuality, inquest hears

A 13-year-old boy who took his own life had experienced taunts about his sexuality at school, an inquest has heard.

Leyton Taylor died days after he was found unresponsive at his home on 6 April last year. Emergency services attended and he was taken to hospital, where he remained unconscious. His family later agreed to withdraw treatment.

The medical cause of death was recorded as brain stem death, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and asphyxiation by hanging.

“None of the boys in that school accepted him. They told him they would never accept him for the way he spoke” – Leyton Taylor’s mother to a pre-inquest hearing

The inquest at Norfolk Coroner’s Court heard Leyton had recently moved with his family from Dickleburgh to Wymondham during the school year. After joining Wymondham High Academy, he initially made friends but later began walking home alone.

His mother said he had been targeted by other pupils after telling them he had a boyfriend. She told a pre-inquest hearing: “None of the boys in that school accepted him. They told him they would never accept him for the way he spoke.

“He was a sassy speaker, more feminine – not the ‘hard boy’ type. This wasn’t going on for just a little while.”

The school’s headteacher said staff were not aware of the remarks at the time, but learned of them after his death. He described Leyton as appearing “happy and confident speaking to adults”.

On the day of the incident, Leyton had been told off several times

The inquest also heard evidence about Leyton’s role at home. As the second-oldest child, he regularly helped with childcare, cleaning and shopping, and assisted in caring for his disabled half-brother, who has Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy.

His mother said: “Leyton watched the little ones. He’d go out to the shops.”

She added: “[His disabled brother] has Dravit syndrome and is prone to sudden epileptic fits… Kyle would not be actively involved. I would lean on Leyton more. Now I see Kyle and me were the ones that made Leyton not be a child.”

On the day of the incident, Leyton had been told off several times, the inquest heard. In a statement read to the court, his stepfather said: “I do not feel like I treated him differently from the others.

Leyton had previously asked about seeing a counsellor and spoke about “putting on a fake mask of smiling”

“I also did not do enough. I should have done more… I will never forgive myself for what happened.”

The inquest heard Leyton had previously asked about seeing a counsellor and spoke about “putting on a fake mask of smiling”.

Recording a narrative conclusion, the coroner said there was “no evidence of his intent” to take his own life. She told his mother: “Suffice to say, anyone would be fed up – not just a 13-year-old boy or girl. He felt he was being asked to do more than anyone else, which seems like it’s probably true.”

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