‘Tragically sad situation’ led to teenager struggling with lockdown taking own life, coroner concludes
A teenager struggling with isolation during the Covid-19 lockdown took her own life, an inquest heard.
Gabrielle Treharne, 17, was found dead at her home in Cannington, Bridgwater, Somerset, on March 2 this year.
She had been self-isolating in the two weeks before her death due to her parents contracting coronavirus.
Her parents, Jago and Vaida Treharne, told an inquest how their daughter was a “bubbly” and “very social” person.
In a statement read to the hearing in Taunton, Mr Treharne described Gabrielle as “full of life”.
“She could be a party animal and was a very social person,” Mr Treharne, a farm worker, said.
“Gabrielle had struggled with lack of contact due to lockdown.
“The two weeks leading up to March 2, myself and my wife had contracted Covid and we all had to isolate at home.
“I think it was tough on Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle (pictured) would make notes on her mobile phone of conversations she wanted to have with friends when they could see each other again, the inquest heard.
Mr Treharne said his daughter had also been “struggling” with the apprenticeship she was doing.
“She was always happy although private,” he added.
He told how Gabrielle had “plans for the future”, such as buying a car and another horse to share with her sister.
The inquest heard Gabrielle was supportive to her wide group of friends.
Mrs Treharne, an insurance broker, said: “She was a very happy person and loved to party.
“She was a private person. I had no concerns about her mental wellbeing.
“Although she found lockdown very difficult, she appeared to be coping.
“We had finished isolating a few days previously and Gabrielle had been able to go out for a walk with a friend.”
The inquest heard both of Gabrielle’s parents had been at work on March 2.
They described how she was in her bedroom with her music playing on a speaker when they both returned home.
Mr Treharne went into the room and called for help after finding Gabrielle unresponsive inside.
A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of her death was hanging.
Police did not find any evidence of third-party involvement.
Tony Williams, senior coroner for Somerset, reached a conclusion of suicide following the inquest on Wednesday.
“She was at home that afternoon, she knew you two were out at work,” Mr Williams told Gabrielle’s parents.
“It doesn’t appear she had any arrangements to meet up with friends that afternoon.
“There was a window of opportunity, a period of time when she knew she wouldn’t be disturbed.
“It appears to me that it is a tragically sad situation where Gabrielle, a private young lady, had been keeping her worries and concerns to herself.
“She has previously made plans for the future and the impression is that she has acted impulsively although I believe deliberately.”
Help can be found by calling the Samaritans, free at any time, on 116 123 or by emailing [email protected] or visiting Samaritans.org.
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