9-yr-old boy found hanged after being sent to his room because he had been arguing with his younger brother

A nine-year-old boy was found hanged after he was sent to his room following an argument with his younger brother.

Aaron Dugmore was found by his 16-year-old older brother in his room, he was taken to hospital he died the following day.

A coroner today ruled that Aaron's death had been an accident, as she could not be sure if the the schoolboy had intended to kill himself, and he was too young to know what he was doing.

At the time of his death, Aaron's mother Kelly-Marie Dugmore, 30, and stepfather Paul Jones, 43, said he had been teased for being white by Asian bullies at school.

The hearing was told that on the night he died, Aaron had argued and kicked his younger brother, before being sent to his room.

Giving evidence, Ms Dugmore told the court of the circumstances leading up to Aaron's death.

'I collected him from school at 3.20pm,' she said.

'When I arrived he had a bit of an argument with another boy at the school, there was a bit of pushing and shoving and I called him away.

'We went home and he was just not happy, he had not been happy since he had been at that school any way.

'He asked if he could have some sweets and I said I didn't have any change and he could have some after tea.

'When we got home he asked me if he could go and play outside, but I said he couldn't, it was snowy and cold.

'He wasn't happy, he argued with (his younger brother) and kicked him in the leg, I told him to go upstairs to calm down.

'I carried on making tea, I was making his favourite. His brother went upstairs to check on him and said he was asleep.

'I gave the other children their tea and then send (his older brother) to get him, I didn't want him sleeping now and staying up all night and causing trouble at school.

'(The brother) went upstairs and I could hear him screaming "what have you done"?.'

Ms Dugmore said she had initially thought Aaron had messed up his room, or broken his phone, but when she went upstairs she discovered what had really happened.

'I was trying to get breath into him and we were waiting for the ambulance to come,' she said.

'He had never mentioned harming himself before, you never think a nine year old child would know about that.

'There were no signs of natural illness that may have contributed to his death.'

At the time of Aaron's death Ms Dugmore had raised suspicions that her son had been bullied, and that it made her 'feel sick to my stomach'.

His family also said Aaron had been threatened with a plastic knife by one Asian pupil - who warned him: 'Next time it will be a real one.'

'We carried out videoed interviews with the family and everyone was consistent with their account,' he said.