GIRL'S SUICIDE OVER CANNABIS SECRET

A depressed schoolgirl killed herself days before her birthday because she
was terrified her parents would discover her cannabis habit, a coroner has
concluded.

Farmer's daughter Claire Llewellyn, 15, was caught smoking the drug by
teachers as she played truant and feared her parents' reaction.

She was about to confess to her mother, but instead hanged herself in a
garage at the family farm in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales.

An inquest in Cardiff heard Miss Llewellyn had taken a day off from
Cowbridge Comprehensive School to spend the morning smoking cannabis with
two friends.

But teachers suspected one of the trio had used the drug when they returned
to school later in the afternoon.

Detective constable Steve Pearce told the inquest: "The boy was suspended
and, the next day, his mother phoned the headmistress to say Claire
supplied him with the cannabis.

"It was a Friday and the school decided not to speak to Claire until after
the weekend.

"But, the next day, the boy sent her a text message saying she had been
found out."

The coroner heard Miss Llewellyn had told younger brother Rhys she was
going to confess to her mother before she was informed by the school.

Garage death

But father Robert Llewellyn later found her hanging in the family's garage
at their home in the village of Penlline.

Claire, who was due to take GCSE exams, had killed herself on 9 February,
five days before her 16th birthday.

The inquest heard police found a suicide note in her bedroom and a poem
about suicide called 'Meet me in outer space'.

Coroner Dr Lawrence Addicott said: "This has been a very traumatic time for
Claire's family. I hope they can now start to come to terms with her death."

He recorded a suicide verdict and ordered the two pupils with whom Miss
Llewellyn smoked cannabis remain unidentified.

The hearing came a week after Home Secretary David Blunkett announced plans
to classify cannabis a less dangerous drug.

*SIDEBAR*

Drug of choice Cannabis is the most widely-used drug in all age groups

44% of 16-29-year-olds used it at some time on their life
22% used it within the last year
14% used it within the last month
Source: 2000 British Crime Survey