A TEENAGER found hanged in his cell at a Young Offenders' Institution had previously tried to strangle himself with his bedsheets, an inquest heard.

Gareth Lee Price, from Ferryhill, County Durham, had also been discovered with a noose around his neck on two occasions before his death at the Lancaster Farms Young Offenders' Institution (YOI) in Lancaster, Lancashire.

The 16-year-old was discovered on January 19, 2005,only hours before he was due to be sentenced for raping a 17-year-old girl.

Despite the efforts of prison officers to revive him, he died in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary 24-hours later.

The jury at the inquest, held at Shire Hall in Lancaster Castle, heard how Gareth, who was one of 13 children, had been at the YOI since September 2004.

In his opening statement, Preston and West Lancashire coroner Dr James Adeley, said Gareth had been found standing with a noose around his neck on two occasions, had smashed the glass in his door and used it to cut himself, tried to strangle himself with his bedsheets, picked a fight with an inmate, tried to set fire to his cell and barricaded himself in the room.

The teenager, originally from County Durham, pleaded guilty in 2003 to causing death by dangerous driving after he lost control of the car he was driving, killing one of the passengers, his friend Liam Richardson.

He was made the subject of an 18- month supervision order.

It was during a holiday in the Liverpool area that Gareth was arrested for raping a 17-year-old girl.

He pleaded guilty to the charge in September 2004.

The inquest was told the youngster, who was part of a travelling community, and his father had discovered his brother, George, hanging in a shed in 2001.

Speaking at Monday's inquest, another brother, Craig Price, said: "Gareth was one of those people who was very quiet and kept himself to himself. I went to see him three times in the Farms. He seemed quiet. He didn't give any inclination he was harming himself and didn't talk about it."

The inquest continues.