Nyah James: Bullying 'not a factor' in Swansea girl's death

A 14-year-old girl died after taking a drugs overdose, a coroner has ruled.

Nyah James was found motionless in her bed by her mother at their home in Blaenymaes, Swansea, on 6 February.

A post-mortem examination showed Nyah had taken a large amount of prescription drugs and a narrative conclusion was recorded at Swansea Coroner's Court heard on Thursday.

Bullying was not a factor in her death, the coroner ruled, contrary to what her family had thought.

Det Con Paul Harry said a thorough investigation found "no evidence of bullying whatsoever".

Mr Harry told the inquest that Nyah's friends told officers she had previously self-harmed and "hated herself".

Nyah's mother Domique Williams had gone to wake up her daughter but could not, the hearing was told.

Paramedics were called but she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Several empty blister packs were found in her bedroom and internet searches about overdoses were on her iPhone.

'Irrational with grief'

Acting senior coroner Colin Phillips said he could not be sure Nyah intended to take her own life as the overdose could have been a "cry for help".

He said there was "no substantive evidence to suggest that Nyah's death was caused by bullying" and a possible trigger may have been the breakdown of her relationship with her boyfriend.

"I am not satisfied that she intended to take her own life. She died as a result of an overdose but her intention was unclear," he added.

Offering his condolences to Nyah's family, Mr Phillips said: "I am so sorry, my heart goes out to you. It is especially tragic to lose a child at such a young age."

After the hearing, a spokesman for Bishop Gore Comprehensive School said: "As a school community, the past months have been very difficult for us as we continue to grieve and come to terms with Nyah's passing."

In May, Nyah's brother, Jordan Clements, was spared jail for sending abusive messages to four girls he felt were responsible for his sister's death.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment and two counts of sending offensive communications but the judge described him as being "irrational with grief".

After Nyah's death, South Wales Police warned people about posting "abusive, threatening or insulting" messages on social media.