A ‘GOOFY, loving and caring’ teenage boy took his own life only five years after the death of his father.

Joe Bailey died at his home address in Broadmarsh Close, Grove, on November 27 last year after struggling with the death of his dad, Michael, who took his own life in 2018 when Joe was only nine.

The 14-year-old had also gone through a period of difficulty at school and was in the process of changing secondaries at the time of his death.

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An inquest was held at Oxford Coroner’s Court on Monday (March 18) where it was heard the medical cause of death was given as hypoxia and hanging.

During the inquest, a statement from Joe’s mother Lindsay was read out in which she described her son as ‘goofy, loving and caring’.

Oxford Mail: Oxford Coroner's Court Oxford Coroner's Court (Image: Oxford Mail)

She wrote: “He was always a lot of fun to be around. He was opinionated at times but he would always be the first person to apologise.

“He was an avid gamer and he had a group of friends via online gaming who always seemed very nice and friendly.”

Writing about her husband’s death, she said that it affected Joe more as he got older.

She wrote: “Joe was very inquisitive about how it happened. I was told it was normal for a child that age to be inquisitive.

“As he got older, he seemed to struggle more with Michael’s death.”

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The inquest heard Joe had one counselling session with Oxfordshire’s grief support charity called SeeSaw.

Though it was agreed more sessions should take place, Joe only attended one.

Joe was also being home schooled while he waited to be moved to a new secondary school in Didcot due to issues at his former institution.

His mother wrote that he didn’t enjoy school and felt he was ‘being singled out when he had done nothing wrong’.

She said on the day of his death, he was due to visit the new school and was excited but the visit was cancelled on the day by staff.

On November 27, his mother described Joe as being his ‘normal self’.

At about 12.30pm, she received a call from her daughter who was ‘making the same noises she made when Michael died’ and Ms Bailey ‘knew something was wrong’.

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Two notes were left in Joe’s bedroom.

Concluding the inquest, coroner Nicholas Graham said: “I am satisfied that he did take his own life. Ms Bailey, I’m very conscious that your family has seen more suffering and tragedy than most.

“There’s little I can say that will be of comfort but I do offer my sincere condolences.”

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