London - An aspiring doctor took his own life after his boast about a fling with a fellow student was shared by his friends on social media, an inquest heard on Thursday.
Ted Senior, 22, had a ‘glittering future’ ahead of him but feared his dreams of a medical career were over after putting details of the liaison on a private message board.
But friends on his rugby team decided to share the post with hundreds of other students as a joke, including the young woman mentioned.
The postgraduate student travelled back to his parents’ home after he was temporarily banned from lectures at Swansea University in February. But he later hanged himself in woodland.
Ted’s mother, Diana, told the inquest: ‘There was a complaint in relation to a post on social media.
‘This resulted in Ted being excluded from the majority of his lectures and from a charity event he had organised. It had a profound effect on him and he came home.’
Mrs Senior, 54, said her son had seemed ‘preoccupied’ after returning home. On February 10 he left the family’s converted farmhouse in the village of Raglan, near Monmouth, South Wales, saying he was taking a day off studying.
When he failed to return later that day Mrs Senior and her husband, Paul, 58, searched the grounds around their home, which is run as a boutique bed and breakfast, and found their son’s body.
Paramedics were called but they were unable to save the keen sportsman. A suicide note was found in the student’s room.
PC Chris Butt told the hearing in Newport there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the talented student, who got a 2.1 undergraduate degree in physiology at Bristol University.
He started the postgraduate degree in medicine at Swansea in September last year.
Gwent coroner Wendy James, who recorded a conclusion of suicide, described the postgraduate’s death as ‘needless’ as he had a ‘glittering future ahead of him’.
The coroner warned about the ‘risk of posting on social media sites’. ‘He made a post on a private forum and that post was shared by his friends,’ she said. ‘A decision was taken to exclude him from lectures and a charity event he was organising.
‘He became isolated from his friends and felt that his future as a doctor was in jeopardy.’
Miss James added: ‘It is part of growing up and can be attributed to the naivety of youth. But the biggest mistake Ted made was to dwell on this too much. I’m sure he would have gone on to be a marvellous doctor and a credit to his friends, family and Swansea University.’
A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was asphyxia as a result of hanging.
The family were too upset to comment after the inquest.
Tributes were paid to Ted after his death. His brother, Max, said: ‘He was a talented rugby player and had a great passion for all sports.
‘He got into medical school after years of hard work and sacrifice. Ted had a rare ability to light up any room with his wide smile, mop of blonde hair and special charm.’
A Swansea University spokesman said: ‘We were very saddened to hear of the death of Edward Senior, a student at our medical school. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends at this time.’