An 18-year-old autistic student was found dead in a toilet at his college after being told he would have a new support worker, an inquest has heard.
Sam Coutts was discovered at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington in January, following a meeting with the vice principal about social media posts in which he had written about having a crush on his support worker, Lauren Crosby.
At an inquest in Crook, County Durham, Sam’s mother, Kirsten Coutts, said she believed her son would have felt deeply embarrassed and ashamed after the meeting. She also questioned whether the college had done enough to safeguard his welfare.
Mother Says Her Son Was Left Feeling Ashamed
Sam had been studying A-level psychology, applied science and biology. He hoped to study biology at university and had been working towards his future while navigating the challenges associated with autism.
The inquest heard that he had previously experienced bullying at secondary school and often tried to mask his autism because he did not want to be treated differently.
His mother described how changes to his routine could make him anxious. When he felt particularly stressed, he would sometimes go straight to bed after returning home from college.
The college knew about Sam’s autism and had assigned him a support worker, Lauren Crosby.
According to Ms Coutts, the college contacted her after Crosby apparently discovered Reddit posts in which Sam discussed his feelings for her. His mother questioned how the posts had come to Crosby’s attention, given that Sam’s Reddit account did not use his real name.
On January 13, the college arranged a meeting at which Sam was told that he would be assigned a different support worker.
The previous day, his mother had spoken to the college’s safeguarding lead and urged staff to handle the situation sensitively.
Before the meeting, Sam had told her that he felt embarrassed and ashamed. He asked whether his Reddit posts made him seem “creepy and weird”. Ms Coutts reassured him that they did not, saying the posts had been respectful.
CCTV Traced His Movements After the Meeting
After the meeting, vice principal Theresa Amarawansa called Ms Coutts and told her that Sam appeared “positive and fine”.
His mother said she struggled to accept that assessment.
“I said I find that hard to believe and the call ended,” she recalled in a statement summarised at the inquest.
Ms Coutts later missed another call from the college because she was working a shift at a hospital. Staff informed her that Sam was missing from his psychology lesson.
She attempted to return the call but was told that staff were dealing with an emergency. She was also told that the incident did not involve her son.
After leaving work around lunchtime, Ms Coutts noticed police and paramedics at the college. However, she reminded herself that she had already been told the emergency was unrelated to Sam.
Police subsequently arrived at her home to inform her that her son had died.
The inquest heard that CCTV footage showed Sam walking directly from the meeting with the vice principal to the toilets. His body was discovered there by the college principal approximately three hours later.
His mother questioned why he had not been found sooner, particularly as he had been recorded as absent from his lessons.
Support Worker Describes Discovery of Reddit Posts
The inquest also heard a statement from Crosby, who described how Sam had contacted her on Christmas Day with a link to Mariah Carey’s song All I Want for Christmas Is You.
When Crosby returned to college after the holiday break, staff discussed the possibility that Sam might not have understood the song’s implied meaning.
According to her statement, the plan was to make a gradual transition to another support worker, a male member of staff with whom Sam had already developed a positive relationship.
Crosby said she subsequently came across Sam’s Reddit posts while browsing the platform, although she did not know why they had appeared in her feed. She said she immediately raised her concerns with members of the college’s support team.
Vicky Wilkinson, the head of additional learning support, told the inquest that the posts had caused concern.
When asked about the possible impact of changing Sam’s support worker, Wilkinson said: “The only alternative was to keep Lauren in place and that was not an option.”
She added: “The wording on the Reddit posts left us with significant concerns.”
Mother Describes a Loving and Thoughtful Young Man
In her statement, Ms Coutts strongly criticised the college’s handling of the situation.
“The college did not care appropriately and acceptably for my son,” she said.
“They failed completely in their duty of care.”
She described Sam as vulnerable and said she believed being told that his support worker would be replaced would have left him feeling as though “a rug had been pulled” from beneath him.
The inquest also heard about Sam’s compassionate response to a family member who experienced a mental health crisis three months before his death. According to the evidence, he had helped save the family member’s life by talking to them.
His mother described him as loving, gentle, quiet, engaging, adventurous and erudite, with a wicked sense of humour.
The inquest, which is expected to last three days, was adjourned until Tuesday.
Support Available
If you or someone you know is struggling with emotional distress or mental health difficulties, support is available.
- Samaritans: Call 116 123 free of charge in the UK, at any time.
- Mind: Visit mind.org.uk or call 0300 123 3393.
- CALM: Visit thecalmzone.net or call 0800 585 858.
If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services.