Police believe a teenage boy who was found dead by his mum in his bedroom may have been 'messing around' before his death, an inquest heard.
A coroner was told by a detective inspector that he believed a ligature may have caught on the top of his bunk bed. Ibrahim Shahid's death was described by the coroner on Thursday at an inquest hearing as a 'truly tragic set of circumstances'.
He was just 14 and a talented footballer - his family in a statement called him a 'shining star' with his whole life ahead of him who also loved to cook.
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Ibrahim - a fit and active pupil at Hathershaw College in Oldham - lived with his parents and siblings in Oldham. He was also a keen and talented footballer for Chadderton FC Juniors in the town and wanted to pursue a career in the sport, it was said.
The inquest at Rochdale Coroner's Court heard Manchester United fan Ibrahim had just chosen his GCSE subjects and was excited over the family's future holiday plans.
On March 14 this year, he attended school as normal and his family in their statement recalled him having a snowball fight.
He returned home and went to bed as normal after visiting a mosque but in the morning, on March 15, his mum went upstairs to his room at around 9am and found him 'suspended' from his bunk bed and unresponsive, the inquest heard. There was no school that day due to industrial action on the part of teachers.
Ibrahim was rushed to the Royal Oldham Hospital but sadly, the inquest heard nothing could be done to save him.
His family, in a statement to the coroner, said they 'can not accept' that it was a 'deliberate intention'. "He was so full of life," they added. "The house is empty without him. He was a shining star."
A pathologist, the inquest heard, recorded a cause of death as hanging. In a statement, Ibrahim's GP said there was no history of low mood, anxiety or depression. He hadn't expressed any 'suicidal ideation'.
Detective Inspector Andrew Fink said Ibrahim was found suspended from his bunk bed. He said there were no issues raised by Ibrahim's family or his school - he was described at the inquest as a 'good student'.
His iPhone was examined and a WhatsApp message from a school friend was discovered at just gone midnight, although they were only discussing 'the shape of the planet' and there was nothing untoward, the inquest heard.
No suicide notes or drugs were found, said Det Insp Fink, and the family were not known to police or social services. He said he believed Ibrahim 'may have been messing around' when he died.
Assistant coroner Julie Mitchell said there were also no issues with bullying. She said: "I have reports from the family that Ibrahim had recently travelled to a destination that he very much loved and he was talking about future holidays. He was keen to travel to Egypt.
"There is nothing to suggest that he was struggling at school. His GP has indicated there was no history of low mood, depression or anxiety. There is nothing to indicate that Ibrahim intended the consequences of his actions."
Noting the report of Det Insp Fink, Ms Mitchell went on: "It is unclear why Ibrahim chose to do what he did. I do not think that he intended to take his own life. I am satisfied that this is not a suicide. It may well be that it is a tragic accident, but we have no information.
"He was clearly a very popular boy and I want to extend my condolences. It is a truly tragic set of circumstances."
The assistant coroner recorded a narrative verdict based on the evidence heard and said there was no evidence that he intended the consequences of his actions.
Ibrahim leaves behind his taxi driver father Shahid Ilyas, 48, mum Saima Jawaid, 44, and three siblings Ismael, 25, Saher, 24 and Elizah, 18. His uncle Umar Jawaid, 39, an optometrist, said the family was 'living through a nightmare'.
He told the M.E.N. at the time of his death: "This has had a massive impact on the whole community. I've been to a lot of funerals, unfortunately, in my time but we had to delay the prayers so imams from other mosques could arrive. There were hundreds of people there, pupils and teachers from Hathershaw College and from his primary school, Broadfield primary school. It was incredible.
"He was a care-free soul. He wanted his life to be as stress-free as possible, just to have a joke."
