Student, 23, who failed degree kills himself on day he was meant to graduate – Mirror Online, Mirror

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A university student took his own life on the day he was due to graduate after failing his degree.

Nicholas Turner had told his family he achieved a 2: 1 in mechanical engineering at Southampton University, despite actually not passing his final year.

The 23 -year-old, an ex-pupil at the prestigious Tonbridge School, cooked for his parents and sister on the night before his graduation in July, Maidstone Coroner’s Court heard.

The youngster’s family had no idea he would kill himself the following day as they sat down together in their garden in Tunbridge Wells on July 22 .

His dad Geoffrey Turner said his son had suffered from depression during exams last year but this had been treated and to his family he “never seemed depressed”,Kent Livereports.

“He had taken on quite a challenging course in his education but had always done well or appeared to do well,” he

Describing his son as “popular and well-liked“ but also “self sufficient”, he said he did “not shirk a pressure to succeed”.

Det Sgt Brian Smith said the student’s body had been spotted in an upstairs bathroom by a neighbor and passing pedestrian on July 23 – the day he was due to attend a graduation ceremony along with his parents.

Despite efforts to revive him paramedics were unable to save his life, he said.

A post-mortem examination revealed there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involved in his death.

Coroner Geoffrey Smith said: “Nicholas was a young man on the threshold of his life.

” He had finished university, with a degree or not, he appears to have kept the exact nature of certain parts of his life from his family.

“It’s not for me to speculate.”

Mr Smith was unable to say whether guilt had played a part and concluded “very regrettably” that Mr Turner had died as a result of suicide.

He expres sed his condolences to the family.

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