'My son went out while I was shopping, then I found notes in his bedroom'

A “sensitive and caring” 16-year-old schoolboy was “laughing and joking” with his sister over TikTok videos hours before taking his own life by standing in front of a train. Elliott Jones had given his family no indication he was planning this, an inquest at Winchester Coroners’ Court heard.

But after his mother went to the supermarket he left the family home in Waverley Road, Fordingbridge, to take a bus to Pokesdown railway station, then a train to Ashurst. A train driver saw him standing with his back to him on the tracks, and although he did “everything he possibly could” Elliott was struck and killed instantly.

Mum Carolyn Jones told the hearing that on the day he died, 10th March this year, he seemed in a good mood and had told her the melatonin tablets he had just started taking for insomnia were working. He and his sister had been enjoying watching TikTok videos.

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She said: “I went to the supermarket and when I came back I assumed he was still there but he had left.” Describing her son as a “beautiful soul”, she said soon after a story had popped up in her Facebook news feed about a death at Ashurst station in the New Forest.

She said that despite Elliott’s seemingly happy mood earlier, “I immediately thought it was Elliott; I don’t know why but I just knew it was him”. She had then checked his bank account where she found he had bought a train ticket. She went on: “I was desperately checking the account to see if there was any sign of life after that. It was my worst nightmare.”

Mrs Jones said she then searched her son’s bedroom, where she found a notebook under his pillow in which he wrote about taking his own life and how he did not want a funeral. He had also left a note saying a library book needed returning. She then phoned the police to tell them: “I think this [the person killed at Ashurst] is my son.”

At the time of his death Elliott was under the care of CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services – had been diagnosed as autistic and was waiting for an assessment for ADHD. He also had dyspraxia, which affects coordination. His mother said, despite that, he was coping well and had managed to do “really well in his GCSEs” despite “hardly” attending school.

Describing him as “caring, sensitive and funny” she said Elliott, who was “well known for his mane of curls”, had identified as non-binary shortly before his death. She said he was a “champion for social justice” adding: “He would be the first to assist and was always sticking up for the underdog.”

Mrs Jones said that since Elliott’s death “loads of people have said that he made such an impact on their lives”. Although Elliott said he occasionally had suicidal thoughts, he had told her they were “fleeting” and that he had no plans to act on them.

Ruling Elliott’s death a suicide, coroner Jason Pegg said: “At 16 he had his whole life ahead of him. He was a very well loved and supported son.” In a statement after the inquest, his family who are being supported by the bereavement charity Cruse, said Elliott was “highly sensitive, empathetic and endearingly eccentric”, adding: “He would leave a positive impression on everyone he met – once met, never forgotten.

“He was well liked by his teachers and peers. He had an intuitive intellectual curiosity beyond his years and deeply cared for social justice. He had done well in his GCSEs and was studying A-levels. It is clear he would have been passionate about any path he might have followed.

“Spicy food, travelling, visits to London, playing and taking apart musical instruments, and engaging in deep philosophical discussions were enjoyed immensely by Elliott. He loved jewellery and flamboyant clothing, had a striking tall stature and the most amazing long curly hair.

“Elliott had a fantastic relationship with myself, his brother and sister, and the wider family. He had a good set of friends. He is deeply missed, but we all try to honour him by taking the things he taught us with us as we try to move forward with our lives.”

Samaritans offer support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide on 116 123, 24-hours a day. You can email jo@samaritans.org