Oldbury boy, 12, died following 'cry for help'

Cameron Turnbull had not settled in well after moving to secondary education at The Westminster School in Rowley Regis. He died in Birmingham Children's Hospital from heart failure and adult respiratory distress syndrome on January 4 last year after his mother found him hanging on New Year's Eve, 2012, at their home in Ivyhouse Road, Oldbury.

Black Country Senior Coroner Robin Balmain concluded that it was an accidental death following an 'attempted hanging' because there was no evidence that Cameron intended to kill himself.

"It seems to me this was some sort of plea for help," said Mr Balmain. Michelle Turnbull, aged 40, said her son, who had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and died 12 days before his 13th birthday, had enjoyed his former residential special school, Shenstone Lodge in Lichfield.

But, when he reached secondary school age, he had to leave Shenstone Lodge and moved to The Westminster School in Rowley Regis, for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.

"The school doesn't care – they couldn't be bothered," said Mrs Turnbull. "They'd promise him things and let him down. It was a terrible experience," she told the inquest.

Cameron, who wanted to become a soldier, was born 12 weeks premature weighing just 2lb 1oz and put in an incubator – but his mother said he was a 'fighter' and he battled through. She told the inquest at Smethwick that she had spent five years during Cameron's early life fighting with Sandwell education authority to get him into a special school.

Sandwell Council's children's services boss, Councillor Simon Hackett, said an independent review by the local safeguarding children board concluded Cameron's death could not have been prevented. "Nevertheless there are always lessons to be learned from a tragedy like this and we have completed a number of recommendations, including ensuring a speech and language therapist is available," he said.