Last text of student who killed himself with shotgun he WON from his dad in a bet just days after posting Snapchat of weapon’s cartridge in his mouth for ‘banter’
Coroner rules suicide was a 'very definite act which would have been planned' at inquest into Billy Plowman's death
A TEEN music student who attended a prestigious college shot himself dead with a gun he won from his dad in a bet, an inquest heard on Thursday.
Billy Plowman, 17, had “dropped out” of university, but felt uncomfortable telling his father about his decision.
Wracked with worry, he left his home in the middle of the night and drove to an isolated spot near a scout hut, where he killed himself.
The coroner, who heard the 17-year-old had previously attempted to take his own life, recorded a narrative verdict of suicide at the inquest on Thursday.
The teen had studied guitar at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey.
He was found dead in his car with the Browning B725 gun he used for clay-pigeon shooting with his father every other weekend.
Just days earlier, he had shared a snap of himself with a shotgun cartridge in his mouth, with the caption “just a bit of banter” to his Snapchat account.
A statement from the teen’s father, Robert Plowman, explained how the pair would go clay-pigeon shooting almost every other weekend, initially taking it turns to fire a single weapon.
It read: "About a year ago we were shooting and having a bit of banter and Billy said 'if I win, I want this gun'.
"I accepted Billy's challenge and he defeated me. I bought myself another shotgun on July 2 2015 and kept it with the other one.
"Billy only held it once we got to the shooting club and both of the guns were kept in a locked cabinet which could only be accessed from my bedroom."
Billy was an aspiring guitarist, and started studying at the Academy of Contemporary Music in September 2015, but dropped out just two months later because of issues with stress and the course not meeting his expectations.
He did not share his feelings with his father.
This was a very definite act which Billy would have had to plan
Coroner
A statement written by Billy's psychiatrist, Dr Christopher Roberts, explained how the teen had trouble speaking with his father, who was also unaware about two previous attempts to take his own life.
He said: "In our next meeting he said he had decided to leave college and focus on performances but was worried about telling his father."
The teen’s distraught mother, Kelly Doughty, sobbed through the majority of the inquest.
Close friend Oscar Hurman-Francis described Billy as a “comedian”.
He told the inquest the pair communicated through Snapchat on a daily basis.
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He said: "On Wednesday June 15 he sent a picture of himself with a shotgun cartridge in his mouth with the caption 'just a bit of banter'.”
"On Sunday the 19th at about 3.30pm he sent me a message which said 'farewell'. I called him and we started chatting about stuff.
"At 10.21pm he sent a message saying "Love you mate" with an emoji. I just thought it was about the conversation we had had earlier."
A post-mortem examination gave the official cause of death as shotgun injury to the head.
A statement from Robert Light, who lives near the scene where Billy's car was found, said: "At about 3am I heard a short, a sharp bang which woke me up."
Another witness, Sarah Anderson, came across the car at 6.26am the following morning.
"I saw Billy and the shotgun in the car and called the police," her statement read.
Billy had received treatment for mental health issues as early as 2013, and had been diagnosed with “autism spectrum” symptoms.
Speaking at the inquest, coroner Anna Loxton said: "We have heard that Billy died as a result of self-inflicted head injuries from a shotgun taken from his father's house.
"I therefore record the death as shotgun injury to the head.
"On June 20 he was discovered in his car. He was found with a shotgun resting on his chest with which he had discharged causing a fatal injury to his head.
"In this case I have to consider the death as suicide and we have heard about Billy's previous attempts to take his own life, although on both those occasions he phoned his mum straight away to tell her what he had done.
"This was a very definite act which Billy would have had to plan."
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