Teenager 'accidentally shot friend in the head' before shooting himself, inquest heard

• Mark Gough reports

A Birmingham teenager may have shot his childhood friend in the head when the gun went off 'inadvertently' before he fatally shot himself, an inquest has heard.

Jaydon Beckford, 17, was found dead near a canal leading off Lighthorne Avenue in the Ladywood area of Birmingham on November 10 last year.

His death came five days after he is believed to have shot his childhood friend Diego Henry, 16, who later died in hospital.

An inquest into the death of Diego on Monday (24 June) heard that the pair had known each other since primary school and were good friends.

In a statement read to the court, Diego's mother who was in court with her two daughters, said she was heartbroken at the loss of her youngest child.

She said her son, who went to City Academy and was hoping to pursue a construction apprenticeship, "lit up the room with his dancing, his jokes and his infectious laugh".

She said he would be remembered for his love of music, adding: “He enjoyed expressing himself through music, he would write tracks and spend time in the recording studio. His family describe him as having manners and respect.”

The two teenagers had been with another friend at the home Jaydon shared with his mother in Lighthorne Avenue in Ladywood on November 5 when Diego was shot in the side of his head.

In a statement, Jaydon’s mother Leah Hussain described Diego, from Hockley, as a “beautiful boy” who, on arriving at their home that morning, had given her a hug and said “hello auntie”.

Ms Hussain said she could hear the boys laughing and chatting in the lounge before she fell asleep - but she was later woken by a bang at around half past midnight.

She said she initially thought it sounded like a neighbour setting off a firework, until she heard the other friend shout “phone an ambulance”.

The inquest heard how Jaydon's mother walked into the living room to find Diego slumped in a chair, while the other friend, who was not named during the inquest, looked “shell-shocked” and her son was not there.

As emergency services arrived the inquest heard how Jaydon was captured on CCTV running towards the city's canal system with his right hand in his pocket.

Diego was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and Jaydon and the other friend were being treated as suspects for attempted murder - which was upgraded to murder after Diego’s life support was turned off two days later.

During the inquest at Birmingham Coroners Courts, ballistics expert Huw Griffiths said the trajectory of the bullet, which had entered the left side of Diego’s temple and lodged in the right side of his brain, would have been “difficult” to achieve had he shot himself, but added he could not rule out that the injury was self-inflicted.

In an interview with police, the other friend at the scene of the shooting gave a prepared statement saying he was good friends with Diego and Jaydon and the trio had been getting on well before he heard a loud bang and Diego fell to the floor.

Detective Sergeant David Newson of West Midlands Police told the inquest that while the friend was initially arrested, based on the evidence, he was no longer being treated as a suspect but as a witness.

He added: "Jaydon was being treated as a suspect and police were actively searching for him. There is no evidence that after Jaydon left his home, he was in contact with anyone else. He was found near the canal on November 10 deceased. Underneath his body was a handgun, a revolver.”

Going on to describe what he believed happened, Det Sgt Newson said: “All three boys were in the living room and Jaydon had discharged the gun at Diego and it caused the fatal injury.

“We came to the view that there wasn’t evidence to link the third friend to the shooting of Diego. Jaydon was more likely the perpetrator of the act.

“There is no evidence there was any animosity between them. The working hypothesis was that it was accidental discharge.”

An inquest into the death of Jaydon is expected to be heard at the same court on Thursday 27th June.

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