AN ANDOVER teenager took her own life after drinking a large quantity of alcohol, an inquest heard.

The body of Kerri Reid was found in the bathroom of her Texel Green flat after a row with her boyfriend in August which led to him being arrested by police.

A coroner heard that the teenager would drink alcohol on a regular basis which increased her suicidal thoughts and made her act out of character, despite her boyfriend, Simon Lush, pleading with her to stop.

On the evening before her death she had phoned her father and told him she was in hospital and needed to borrow some money.

She was then loaned £20 by her sister which she used to buy some alcohol and get drunk at her flat while her boyfriend stayed over.

Giving evidence at the inquest, Mr Lush said: “Kerri was a very nice girl and everything was going very well, but she liked to drink. I did not like her drinking. It brought out another side that I did not know she had.

“I tried stopping her but she was very stubborn and did not want to give up drinking.

On the night of August 27, after buying some alcohol from a nearby Tesco shop and getting drunk at the flat, Kerri left the building and locked her boyfriend inside so he could not get out.

She returned later with another man and an argument broke out on the doorstep between the three before the man – who Kerri gave no indication of ever having met before – disappeared.

Mr Lush and Kerri continued to argue before neighbours called the police and Mr Lush was arrested in the early hours of August 28, the coroner heard.

“When the police turned up Kerri was taken out of the flat and I was arrested.

“That was the last time I saw Kerri,” Mr Lush told the coroner.

Later that day Mr Lush was released without charge and returned to the flat around 10pm to get his belongings but did not get a response. He sat outside and waited until 5am but there was still no response.

After numerous attempts to contact her over the next few days, the police were eventually called by Kerri’s father and officers discovered her body in the bathroom on August 31.

A handwritten note indicating that she no longer wanted to be alive was placed on the floor by her body.

A post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Amanda Jeffery found the cause of death to be suspension by a ligature around the neck.

Toxicology reports revealed Kerri had 154ml of alcohol per 100ml of blood in her system at the time of her death – almost twice the legal drink driving limit.

Doctor’s notes indicated that Kerri had a known history of hazardous alcohol use and she was receiving treatment for depression.

Kerri was born in Portsmouth and grew up in foster care from the age of five before getting her own flat at the age of 18.

It was suggested that, despite her excitement at having her own place, Kerri was apprehensive about being on her own and the move at the end of May this year had left her feeling isolated.

Recording a verdict of suicide, coroner Sarah Whitby said: “I have been given a picture of Kerri – she had her ups and downs but she had moments where she would appear just fine.

“She was perhaps struggling being on her own.

“She was found in a securely locked flat, she had mental health troubles and there was a clear cause of death of hanging.

“I find that the deceased died as a result of suspension by ligature around the neck whilst having drunk alcohol to a level of almost twice the drink drive limit.

“I do think it is appropriate to mention the alcohol because it did influence her impulsive behaviour.”