A ‘mischievous’ schoolboy accidentally
hanged himself while trying to play a prank on
his brother and father. Brad Rothwell, 11, was trying to trick his
father, Bryn, and brother, Brett, when they
returned from running errands but the game
went tragically wrong. As they entered his bedroom at the family
home in Wigan, Greater Manchester, they
found him tied to his bunk bed and
unresponsive. They dialled 999 but despite efforts to revive
him with CPR, and the attentions of
paramedics, Brad was pronounced dead at the
scene. Coroner Alan Walsh heard evidence that the
‘model pupil’ would often play pranks on his
brother and father and upload the videos to
YouTube.
Police examined Brad’s laptop and phone and
found no suicidal notes or evidence of
planning and researching to take his own life. Coroner Alan Walsh ruled that Brad’s death
was accidental. The inquest was told that he died two years
after his mother Joanne, 44, lost her battle
with cancer. Mr Walsh said the case was ‘unimaginably
tragic’ adding: ‘Pranks can get out of hand, he
wasn’t able to save himself.’ Brad had 14 videos on YouTube, including
one called ‘The best hidden jump’ which saw
him film himself jumping out of a wardrobe
to startle his brother. Giving evidence at the inquest in Bolton,
Greater Manchester, Mr Rothwell, 55, said that
on May 13 this year, Brad returned home from
school and everything was normal. His sporty and popular son came in and after
dinner he was asked to tidy his room – but
was later caught playing on his mobile phone. The dental technician said the boy would
often look up funny videos on YouTube on his
phone and laptop. He added: ‘I asked him to go get is stuff out of
his room so I could get the washing on. ‘But when I went upstairs he was sitting on
his mobile phone. I took it off him, he didn’t
object, I’d done it a few times. He was always
looking up funny stuff and doing what kids
do. ‘I was going to do errands with my other son
– I was just dropping some work off and
coming back.’ Mr Rothwell and Brett were gone for more
than an hour and when they came back to
their home they discovered Brad hanging from
the top of the bunk beds. He said: ‘As I pulled up to the drive I got a text
off my girlfriend so Brett jumped out and ran
inside. He immediately shouted for me to
come. I just thought he was messing about,
but I ran upstairs and found him.’ He added: ‘He had done videos on YouTube,
jumping out of wardrobes, scaring his brother.
He would say to me “don’t tell him I’m
upstairs” so he could jump out at Brett. It
could be another prank that he could have
been thinking about.’ Detective Inspector Iain Butler said Mr
Rothwell pulled his son down from the bunk
bed and attempted CPR, until emergency
services arrived – but the boy was pronounced
dead at the scene. Recording a verdict of accidental death, the
coroner described the Brad’s death as a prank
gone wrong.
hanged himself while trying to play a prank on
his brother and father. Brad Rothwell, 11, was trying to trick his
father, Bryn, and brother, Brett, when they
returned from running errands but the game
went tragically wrong. As they entered his bedroom at the family
home in Wigan, Greater Manchester, they
found him tied to his bunk bed and
unresponsive. They dialled 999 but despite efforts to revive
him with CPR, and the attentions of
paramedics, Brad was pronounced dead at the
scene. Coroner Alan Walsh heard evidence that the
‘model pupil’ would often play pranks on his
brother and father and upload the videos to
YouTube.
Police examined Brad’s laptop and phone and
found no suicidal notes or evidence of
planning and researching to take his own life. Coroner Alan Walsh ruled that Brad’s death
was accidental. The inquest was told that he died two years
after his mother Joanne, 44, lost her battle
with cancer. Mr Walsh said the case was ‘unimaginably
tragic’ adding: ‘Pranks can get out of hand, he
wasn’t able to save himself.’ Brad had 14 videos on YouTube, including
one called ‘The best hidden jump’ which saw
him film himself jumping out of a wardrobe
to startle his brother. Giving evidence at the inquest in Bolton,
Greater Manchester, Mr Rothwell, 55, said that
on May 13 this year, Brad returned home from
school and everything was normal. His sporty and popular son came in and after
dinner he was asked to tidy his room – but
was later caught playing on his mobile phone. The dental technician said the boy would
often look up funny videos on YouTube on his
phone and laptop. He added: ‘I asked him to go get is stuff out of
his room so I could get the washing on. ‘But when I went upstairs he was sitting on
his mobile phone. I took it off him, he didn’t
object, I’d done it a few times. He was always
looking up funny stuff and doing what kids
do. ‘I was going to do errands with my other son
– I was just dropping some work off and
coming back.’ Mr Rothwell and Brett were gone for more
than an hour and when they came back to
their home they discovered Brad hanging from
the top of the bunk beds. He said: ‘As I pulled up to the drive I got a text
off my girlfriend so Brett jumped out and ran
inside. He immediately shouted for me to
come. I just thought he was messing about,
but I ran upstairs and found him.’ He added: ‘He had done videos on YouTube,
jumping out of wardrobes, scaring his brother.
He would say to me “don’t tell him I’m
upstairs” so he could jump out at Brett. It
could be another prank that he could have
been thinking about.’ Detective Inspector Iain Butler said Mr
Rothwell pulled his son down from the bunk
bed and attempted CPR, until emergency
services arrived – but the boy was pronounced
dead at the scene. Recording a verdict of accidental death, the
coroner described the Brad’s death as a prank
gone wrong.
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