TEEN TRAGEDY: Girl, 16, ‘Anxious About Appearance And GCSEs’ Killed By Train As She Tried To Get Onto Platform After Changing Mind About Suicide

TEEN TRAGEDY: Girl, 16, ‘anxious about appearance and GCSEs’ killed by train as she tried to get onto platform after changing her mind about suicide Credit: Shutterstock

ON MARCH 17, Kate left her family home in Christchurch to go to work at a local pub but never showed up.

She had been “normal and laughing” with her brother before she left, the inquest was told.

The inquest into Kate’s death was held in Bournemouth, where coroner Brendan Allen heard evidence from Miss Mullins’ mother Donna.

The mum said: “She was into her fitness and had lost a lot of weight.

“I think she felt anxious about her appearance and used to think people did not like her.

“She was due to take her exams in art and design, business studies, English and maths and I know she was feeling anxious.”

Chilling CCTV footage shows Kate Mullins, 16, climbing on the tracks as a train approached at 65mph.

The train was not due to stop at the station and Kate is witnessed trying to get out of the way of the fast approaching train. Unable to pull herself up, she turned to run away from the train and the driver applied the emergency brake, but she was hit at 65mph and died at the scene.

Mrs Mullins stated during the inquest: ‘Before she (Kate) left home she was normal and laughing with her brother. He was the last member of the family to see her alive.

‘I cannot think of any reason that she would want to commit suicide. She had everything to live for, I miss her now and I will miss her for the rest of my life.’ Kate was a Year 11 student at Highcliffe School and was a member of St John Ambulance Service.

Her headteacher Patrick Earnshaw said ‘She worked very hard, took her studies seriously. She was not any more or less anxious about her exams that any hard-working student keen to do so at this time.’

Assistant Dorset coroner Brendan Allen recorded a verdict of misadventure. He said: ‘She was anxious about her exams and had issues with her self-esteem. I do not think there is evidence of suicide as we have heard she tried to pull herself back up onto the platform. ‘I find Kate died as a result of a misadventure. ‘Kate’s death is undoubtedly a tragedy. It shows the dangers associated with entering onto the train tracks. ‘I would like to pass on my sincere condolences to Kate’s family.’

 

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Cristina Hodgson

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