A gifted teenager killed himself with an overdose of painkillers after his comprehensive school sidelined Christianity in favour of 'alternative religions', an inquest heard today.
Tragic Harry Tucker, 15, read the Bible at home because he believed his religious studies teachers focused on the teaching of Islam and Sikhism.
Straight-A student Harry, was also troubled by his own sexuality and what he saw as unfair detentions.
Harry, of Southville, Bristol, was found unconscious in bed on February 20, 2006, after taking an overdose of the painkiller co-proxamol.
He was taken to Bristol Children's Hospital but staff were unable to resuscitate him.
At an inquest into Harry's death at Flax Bourton, Bristol, yesterday his father Robert revealed his son had problems at St Katherine's comprehensive school, in Pill, Somerset.
Mr Tucker, 53, a former marine, said: 'There was an issue with a teacher due to his being given what he said was an unjustified detention.
'Even though he had told them he didn't miss homework. They didn't believe him.
'He was deeply concerned that his religious education consisted mainly of alternative religions and ignored Christianity.
'The religious education concentrated on the Muslim faith at the expense of Christianity.
'He was reading the Bible himself because it was rarely covered at school. Nothing seemed to change, according to Harry, before his death.'
Mr Tucker had confronted the school about the issue, but they denied there was an imbalance in religious studies.
The inquest also heard Harry had suffered 'night terrors' after his mother's former female partner threatened to burn their house down.
Harry's mother, Jill Billett, 51, divorced from Mr Tucker, subsequently left her female lover and married a Mr Geoff Billett.
Harry, who was keen on art and had considered becoming an actor, lived with his mother, Mr Billett and his three sisters in Southville, Bristol.
The inquest heard Harry was a 'sad and very mixed-up teenager' who also had feelings for a male friend.
Avon coroner Brian Whitehouse recorded an open verdict.
Mr Whitehouse said he had no doubt Harry had caused his own death but believed the overdose as a 'cry for help' and could not be sure he intended to end his life.
He said: 'It does seem to me from the evidence I've heard that Harry was a very troubled teenager, despite his mother referring to him as normal.
'I've no doubt that's how he appeared. All teenagers are troubled to a greater or lesser extent as they go through the teenage years.
'Thankfully, they almost always grow out of it. Sadly and tragically, he didn't grow out of it.'
Mr Tucker, who refused to comment after the inquest, had denied Harry was being bullied at school.
Former classmates at St Katherine's School, Bristol, set up a Myspace page to pay tribute to tragic Harry.
It read: 'Harry Tucker was an awesome guy and loads of people loved him to bits. This group is for people who want to show their respects to Harry.'
2 comments:
How dare you use Harry's death as ammunition for your religious rantings.
His death has been eclipsed by his religious beliefs and far from being the fault of the Islamic religion, it is no one's fault that there simply isn't enough time in an RE lesson to sufficiently cover all religions.
'The religious education concentrated on the Muslim faith at the expense of Christianity.
did you mis that bit
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