A teenager who was due to take the lead role in his school production of Great Expectations died after his girlfriend broke up with him, an inquest has heard.

Schoolboy Isaac Springer, 15, was discovered hanging from an exercise panel with a shoelace tied around his neck by his mother, in his bedroom at their home in Tooting Bec Road on Friday, June 20.

The aspiring actor and guitarist met his girlfriend at a youth drama group in March and the young couple soon began dating.

But the teenage girl called off the relationship some months later, saying the pair were “too different”, the inquest into his death heard on Friday.

His mother Lovita Springer, who attended the inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court, sobbed as evidence was given and tearfully walked out halfway through her statement being read.

It said: “He had never had a girlfriend before. I was concerned because I did not know if he was ready for a girlfriend.”

She admitted her son just “could not handle the emotions everyday” and that he had once spoken about having suicidal feelings following his break-up, but she had told him: “There is still life to live”.

The night before he died, Isaac had come back from his youth drama group, and Ms Springer said: “He looked so upset. He looked older than 15 years. I told him I had some food but he would not eat.

“He was very quiet. He said nothing at all. He then said he wanted to trash his room and break stuff. He said he needed to vent. He said he needed to scream.”

Ms Springer said her son screamed for about 20 minutes and later, when she tried to comfort him, he had closed his bedroom door so she went to bed at about 11pm.

The inquest heard she was awoken just after 6am to the sound of her son’s alarm clock, which had been going off for some time.

Ms Springer said: “Something felt wrong.”

Ms Springer described the Ernest Bevin College pupil, who would have celebrated his 16th birthday this month, as a “creative boy who excelled in writing and acting” even winning his school’s Wordsmith competition in 2012.

She said: “Isaac was my only child. I am heartbroken and devastated. Words cannot express how I feel.”

The inquest heard Isaac had a history of sleep disturbance and mood changes but he had been doing well at school.

His mother was only shown a biology homework book that contained a note expressing how sad he was about the breakup of his relationship.

Investigating police officers found a web page entitled “Do you need to have a lot in common with your boyfriend or girlfriend”, the inquest heard.

A Facebook conversation was also found with a friend who told Isaac: “Look it’s just a girl.”

He had replied: “Look I know you’re trying to help but she’s not just any girl.”

Police Constable Scott Edwards, from Wandsworth police, gave evidence and said: “What we were dealing with was a very sad and tragic breakup with a girl.”

The inquest heard that although Isaac had seen psychologists in previous years for unrelated matters, he had no clinical signs of depression or self harm.

Coroner Shirley Radcliffe ruled an open verdict.

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