A private school pupil killed himself with his father’s shotgun after a ‘perfect storm’ of GCSE stress, breaking up with his girlfriend and ADHD, an inquest heard.
Jairus Earl was found by his father Philip in his office at their Dorset holiday home as they prepared to return to London for the 15-year-old to start his exams.
The family had gone to their cottage near Sherborne for the Easter holidays to destress and took some shotguns with them for clay pigeon shooting.
The inquest heard Jairus, who was feeling anxious and negative about his GCSEs, spent the mornings revising and did shooting and fly fishing with his father in the afternoons.
But as they packed up the car to return home Jairus told his father he was going in to the toilet but instead went into the office where his father had his shotguns in cases.
Mr Earl, a director of a construction company, was listening to music and so did not hear the gunshot but knew something was wrong when the family dog came out and ‘looked very stressed’.
Mr Earl, 56, went inside and found his son unresponsive in the office at about 3.45pm on April 14, 2024.
Jairus was pronounced dead at the scene at 4pm.
At his inquest the Dorset coroner Rachael Griffin raised concerns about possible gaps in gun licence laws that she will be making a prevention of future deaths report about to the government.
Jairus’s father Phillip Earl (left), grandfather (centre) and mother Sophie Earl leaving the inquest after a coroner concluded the schoolboy had taken his own life
The inquest heard Jairus, who was feeling anxious and negative about his GCSEs, spent the mornings revising and did shooting and fly fishing with his father in the afternoons. Pictured: Bournemouth Coroner Court
The Bournemouth inquest heard Jairus was ‘very social and loved to have fun’ but struggled with school and had been falling behind. He attended the £30,000 a year Thames Christian School in Clapham, south London (pictured)
While she recognised that Mr Earl was a responsible gun licence holder, she said there may be an issue about people keeping guns in second homes without the authorities knowing.
She said there was also a concern about the lack of consideration for the mental health of other people in the same household as a licence holder.
The Bournemouth inquest heard Jairus was ‘very social and loved to have fun’ but struggled with school and had been falling behind.
He attended the £30,000-a-year Thames Christian School in Clapham, south London.
He had been diagnosed with ADHD at 14 and was experiencing low mood and suicidal ideation but was seeing both a psychologist and a child psychiatrist in the months leading up to his death and his mood seemed to be improving.
The family said Jairus had been affected by the Covid lockdowns, the first of which came when he was just two terms into secondary school and was ‘extremely detrimental’.
The Bournemouth inquest that Mr Earl’s wife Sophie and daughter Lily had already returned to London by early April while he and Jairus stayed in Dorset for longer.
Mr Earl said in a statement: ‘In recent years things had become more stressful. He felt very negative about school, homework and exams.
‘His self-esteem took a bad hit. He felt like no one believed in him or were on his side.
‘He was facing GCSEs, which was overwhelming for him. He had concerns that he had been behind but wouldn’t consider the possibility of repeating the year.’
Mr Earl said he thought that pressure was a ‘huge part of the final moment’ and he was ‘so triggered he made that terrible impulsive decision to take his life’.
He added: ‘The factors that collaborated to create a perfect storm were the breakdown of his relationship with his girlfriend, schooling and GCSEs, his struggle with ADHD and the fact it was coming with symptoms of depression and anxiety.’
Ms Griffin recorded a verdict of suicide.
She said: ‘I have heard a wealth of evidence that indicates how much loved Jairus was. He was also a young man who in the later stages of his life was troubled.
‘There is nothing in the evidence before me that indicates his father was anything but a responsible gun licence holder.
‘Jairus said he was going to the toilet, that was sadly the last his father saw him alive.
‘I don’t know what happened from the moment Jairus’ father last saw him and when he found him. There was no note left, no evidence of any messages or searching around what his intent might be.
‘Jairus had a very good knowledge of guns…those that knew him best believe that he intended to end his life.
‘I am satisfied he intended the consequences to be his own death.’
Addressing her concerns about gun licence regulations, she said: ‘I do have ongoing concerns about the lack of regulation, including the fact people may have a second residence where items are stored that may not be known to the authorities that needs to be known.
‘When applications for licence are made at the moment there is no requirement to assess or access medical information for other persons residing in the property.
‘I do intend to submit a report to the secretary of state for health and the Home Office to raise the concerns I have to the gaps in regulations.’
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