She sadly was the one who felt that she was not worthy. Death was what she intended to achieve - it was a very sad end to a young life that had such promise

Sheriff Payne, coroner

Sarah - the eldest of three children - was found in bed with a white plastic bag resting on her face.

Pathologist Dr Simon Rasbridge said it could have caused her to suffocate.

The inquest heard Sarah, a talented swimmer who competed for local clubs, was an outstanding pupil and a gifted artist.

Anthony McCaffrey, headteacher of St Peter's School in Bournemouth, where Sarah was studying, said she was consistently a top performer.

However, in March this year, the failure of her driving test, a mock A-level physics result and the end of her relationship with boyfriend Beker Isbender left Sarah feeling low, the inquest heard.

Overdoses

Mr Isbender said: "This was the first setback in her life - she was extremely successful with everything she did."

He told the court how Sarah had sworn him to secrecy after taking her to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital on 14 April when she overdosed on more than 30 paracetamol tablets.

A week later Sarah's mother, Alison, found her daughter in a bedroom after she had taken a further overdose.

In a note at the time, Sarah said she would not get a place on a civil engineering course at Southampton University, because she did not believe she would get good enough results.

Exam results

Less than a month later, on 17 May, Sarah's body was discovered by her father in her bedroom at their Bournemouth home.

Recording a verdict of suicide, the coroner, Sheriff Payne, said: "She sadly was the one who felt that she was not worthy.

"Death was what she intended to achieve - it was a very sad end to a young life that had such promise."