A teenager was found dead in his bedroom after his mother asked him to start paying rent, an inquest has heard.
Elliot Stapleton-Giddins was discovered by his mother, Tracy, who told the inquest that his only outgoings up to that point were to pay for half of his phone bill.
A coroner in Milton Keynes heard that he received a text message from his mother saying: 'You need to pay £200 a month. The other rooms are £500 so it seems like a fair deal.'
Elliott, 18, was described as being in a happy relationship with girlfriend Lily Avirl and worked as a chef for a Masterchef: The Professionals finalist.
The inquest heard that at the time of his death he had £2,500 in his account which he planned on using to go travelling.
Ms Stapleton-Giddins said: 'I had not realised how much he was earning, but he was really working hard.
'It wasn't about the money though, it was about him being a bit more responsible.
'He had previously said he understood and that he had been waiting for the conversation to come up.'
Talking about discovering his body at his home in Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, she said: 'I was totally shocked. I shouldn't have texted him, I should have spoken to him in person but I don't think that was the reason.'
Detectives from Thames Valley Police said in a written statement that his mother's text message had had some impact on him.
They said: 'Lily had been in text contact with him until 2am. Lily said he had been a bit upset about his mother's text but she had managed to bring him around.'
He had not been diagnosed with mental health issues, but the inquest heard that he had previously complained of feeling low.
Elliot's step-father Mr Stapleton told the coroner that he had had problems with bullying at his school in the past.
Coroner Elizabeth Gray recorded an open verdict.
She said 'We have a series of small incidents over time and a family reporting that generally Elliot was on an even keel. He was a sensitive person but nothing to suggest that this was intended on October 2.
'The conclusion that I will draw therefore is an open conclusion. We don't have evidence either way that Elliot intended to take his own life.'
Source - Metro
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