Schoolgirl, 13, who was found hanged after rowing with her stepfather and running away from home was only reported missing by parents eight hours later after they had been to Tesco and had dinner, inquest hears
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A teenager who was found dead in bushes 72 hours after she hanged herself was reported missing by her parents eight hours after she stormed out of their home, a coroner heard.
An inquest into the death of Amber Peat, 13, was told today that her mother Kelly Peat, 37 and stepfather Danny Peat, 34, raised the alarm over her being missing after they went shopping to Tesco and had dinner on May 30, last year.
Amber, who had only turned 13 a month earlier and was less than 5ft tall, left the house about 5.10pm after she had been ordered to clean out a cool box.
But the 13-year-old’s stepfather Danny Peat and mother Kelly didn’t contact police until 12.56am that night.
On Monday, the court heard the family from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire,
Amber – who had gone missing at least twice previously – stormed out of the house and was later reported missing.
Nottinghamshire Police Detective Constable Tina Gilfoyle said that the family ‘reported having a wonderful holiday and wonderful time’.
The inquest heard it was likely Amber died shortly after she was seen by a member of the public entering hedgerow at around 5.50pm that day. But her body wasn’t discovered for 72 hours.
DC Gilfoyle said that while Amber was missing, police interviewed a ‘child witness’ who revealed how she had ‘been in trouble quite a lot’ during the half-term break.
Miss Peat had also told teachers at her school she felt ‘very put upon’ and ‘had lots of jobs to do’ at home and that she felt her siblings had an easier life.
Over the next month, Nottingham Coroner’s Court will probe the little girl’s life and the hours leading up to her death.
The officer told the hearing: ‘There had been arguments and Amber had been prevented from going to the beach.
‘Together with a cousin she had written a ‘runaway list’ on a laptop. It was quite a childish list with a wig, torch and rope. The cousin thought it was a joke.
