A TRAGIC teenager has hung himself after leaving his girlfriend a message on Facebook saying he wanted to be with Jack Large - the Hainault school boy knifed to death in 2007.

Nineteen-year-old Scott Brown, of Foremark Close, Ilford, used his dressing gown cord to suspend himself from bunk beds in his room in April 2008, following an argument with his girlfriend Charlie Whelan.

The unemployed teenager, who was said to have a "stormy" relationship with Miss Whelan, sent her messages on the social networking website Facebook shortly before the suicide.

Mr Brown said he was going to kill himself and join his friend Jack Large, of Yeoman Way, Hainualt, who died the year before at the age of 15 after being stabbed in the head in Chigwell.

At the inquest into Mr Brown's death at Walthamstow Coroner's Court on Tuesday, Sgt Andrew Moore, who attended the incident on April 9, 2008, said: "He had been having a conversation with Miss Whelan the night before, the context of which was about an argument they had been having.

"His computer was open and when Mrs Whelan attended she logged onto her facebook site and showed us messages that Scott had sent her.

"He said he was going to take his own life and said he would be in a better place with Jack Large, his friend who was murdered in the local area."

On the morning when Mr Brown was found, his family enlisted the help of two bin men to force the bedroom door open as the boy, who was said to be trying to "sort his life out" after a series of brushes with the law, had blocked it with the heavy bunk beds.

Scott's father Paul Brown said: "If he was told to do something he would do the opposite.

"He was very daring and wilful and just loved life.

"He never spoke to me about wanting to kill himself."

Coroner Dr William Dolman recorded a verdict of death by suspension, adding: "I am sure the argument had something to do with it but perhaps other things played on his mind, such as that his friend had died recently and he wanted to join him.

"Facebook messages are a common form of suicide note now and I think that evidence makes it clear what he intended to do."