Girl, 12, took her own life after being left 'almost nocturnal' by phone addiction
Angel Karanja had been receiving messages on Snapchat just two hours before she took her own life
A 12-year-old girl took her own life after struggling with the move to secondary school and becoming addicted to her phone, an inquest has heard.
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Angel Karanja, described by her father as a “model student” at primary school, found the transition to the larger Cornerstone Academy in Hamworthy, Poole, "difficult".
Her attendance and grades suffered, while she spent increasing amounts of time on her phone playing Minecraft and watching YouTube, Bournemouth Coroner’s Court heard.
Her father, Eliud Matindi, told his daughter's inquest that she became "almost nocturnal" due to her phone use.
After her body was found in her bedroom at 7.30am police discovered she had been receiving messages on Snapchat as late as 5am that morning.
An analysis of her phone and tablet found no evidence of cyberbullying or searches relating to suicide.
The inquest heard Angel left no suicide note and had not informed any friends of her intentions.
Her father said: “Angel was the light of all our lives and she brightened every single day.”
"We have so many wonderful memories of her.
"She was a model student at primary school and never got into trouble and was polite to everyone.
"But I would describe her transition to her new school as difficult. It was much larger and she was very reluctant to attend.
"She missed a lot of classes and her academic performance was affected.
"As she got older I noticed she became more withdrawn and spent more and more time on the phone watching YouTube and playing games.
"I would describe her as almost nocturnal and she slept through the day.
"When she was in her room she would spend all her time on Minecraft."
The Year 8 student was found dead at her home in Poole, Dorset, on March 17 this year.
She had joined the 600-pupil Cornerstone Academy in Hamworthy, Poole, the year before and her struggles affected her grades.
On the morning of March 17 this year, he said he called up to his daughter shortly after 7.30am to tell her to get up for school.
After getting no response on three separate occasions, he went upstairs and found his daughter hanged in her bedroom.
He called 999 and paramedics arrived but declared her dead at the scene.
Mr Matindi said: "I shouted up to her it was time to get up three times.
"But there was no response so I walked up the stairs and I found her hanging.
"She will forever be missed by us all."
He said he thought his daughter had "turned a corner" as her attendance had improved and she had made a group of friends in Year 8.
School friends of Angel were interviewed by police and one claimed she had been bullied by a group of girls at a sleepover.
Another told officers: "She said she would rather be in hell than at school."
Dorset coroner Brendan Allen recorded a narrative conclusion that she died as a consequence of ligature suspension.
He added: "Her intention is not explained by the evidence."
The impact of suicide reaches far and wide. Call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org for more information.