A 16-year-old Nigerian schoolboy hanged himself in a ‘horrible mistake’ as he experimented to see how Hollywood legend Robin Williams died, an inquest has heard.
Temidayo Joseph died in his bedroom in August last year just hours after collecting his GCSE results. The talented footballer, known to his friends as Temi, was found hanged in his bedroom by his mother Kate Ibok.
An inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court yesterday heard that in the days leading up to the teenager’s death, the ‘lively and popular’ youngster had spoken with a cousin in Nigeria about the actor. The court heard no suicide note was found and a police report concluded that the youngster had no intention of killing himself.
Essex Coroner Eleanor McGann said: ‘There was a conversation which took place about big news in the media about the death of Robin Williams. “Temi had said ‘I don’t understand why somebody would do this to themselves..
“It’s perfectly possible that he did not have any idea how easy it is to hang yourself by mistake.’ She added: “That would seem to fit with this happy little boy with an enquiring mind who has made a horrible mistake. Detective Sergeant Tara Barnes told the inquest she had concluded her report into the death by saying: “I had no information that his intention was to kill himself.”
Tragically, a fellow student at his school, The Ockendon Academy in Thurrock, Essex was found dead in South Ockenden just two weeks ago. An inquest into the death of Toni Connell, which was opened and adjourned yesterday, heard that the 15-year-old was also found hanged.
Her mother Amanda Connell, 46, has blamed exam pressure for the death of her daughter. She said last week: “I have lost a big part of my life and I put it down to the school putting so much stress on my daughter.” But the coroner yesterday ruled out the same reason as the cause of Temi’s death.
Although he had gained just three C grades, the inquest heard that academy staff had taken steps to warn Temi, who dreamed about becoming a professional footballer, about what kind of grades he would be getting. His family said he had been looking forward to enrolling at college.
Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mrs McGann said: ‘It is very easy to jump to the conclusion someone has got their GCSE results and think he has hanged himself. ‘That conclusion, in this case, would be wrong. ‘He got the results he expected to get, he knew what pathway he would follow.’
She added: ‘There was no evidence at all that Temi wanted to kill himself quite the contrary this was a young man with everything to live for. ‘He had a loving and sound extended family, lots of support and was very popular at school, not just with pupils but teachers as well.
‘Why on earth would he intend to kill himself? ‘I am not satisfied, so that I am sure, that he intended to kill himself that day and therefore I am not returning a verdict of suicide.
She added that although he had discussed the death of Robin Williams, ‘there is nothing to show he intended to die’.
She concluded it was a ‘tragic accident of a young boy simply trying to work out how something has been done and it went horribly wrong.’ After the verdict, Temi’s devastated father Vincent, 54, from Waterloo in London, wept as he described his ‘talented son’.
He said: “I did not know about the link to Robin Williams before we went into the inquest. “Temidayo was a lovely young man and a great character. He did not intend to kill himself, he was a very talented boy and lived for his football that’s all he wanted to do.
“I was so happy when I stood by him to hear him call me father. I have lost a good friend.” Temi’s mother, who was not present at yesterday’s inquest, has temporarily moved back to Nigeria with his 12-year-old sister, Christiana, 12, to cope with her grief.
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