A WOMAN whose grandson took his own life because he was unable to cope with his mother’s murder has said she will never get over the double family tragedy.

An inquest heard Jamie McKitten, 17, from Great Lumley, stepped in front of a train at Chester-le-Street with the intention of killing himself.

The coroners’ court was told the youngster was unable to come to terms with the brutal death of his mother, Kelly McKitten, 31, at the hands of his father, Stuart Cummings.

He and his older brother were in their home at Pelton Fell when the horrifying murder took place in 2008.

The trauma of what he witnessed haunted Jamie and the inquest heard he would cry himself to sleep at night.

The Northern Echo:

Jamie McKitten 

Kelly’s mother, Shelley, who took the boys in and raised them with their grandfather said: “We will never ever get over what has has happened to Jamie.

“We have not got over the death of his mother yet and that has been 13 years.

“You learn to live with it. You don’t get over it.

“You never come to terms with something like this but now, hopefully, we can grieve.”

The inquest, held in Crook on Friday before Assistant Coroner Leslie Hamilton, heard Jamie began drinking vodka, smoking cannabis and would use cocaine to “self-medicate” because he didn’t want to be angry.

On the evening of Wednesday, March 31, he had been at Chester Park with friends, the court was told.

Referring to statements from witnesses, Michael Kelly, Coroners Enquiry Coordinator for the British Transport Police, said that day Jamie had been drinking and jumped in a river with his mobile phone in his pocket.

He had also been seen with a knife and began smashing into fencing and into bins but ran off when police arrived.

At 6pm, Jamie’s friend was called because it was thought he was the only one who could calm him down.

About an hour and a half later, they went to his friend’s grandmother’s house to get a lift but while his friend went back into the house Jamie left.

At 9.30pm Jamie went into Sainsbury and used a phone at the store to ring his grandparents to ask them for a left.

The hearing was told his grandad had had two cans of cider so he could not collect him and his grandmother does not drive.

Jamie said he would walk home.

A witness from the store said Jamie looked a little drunk and heard him say on the phone: “You don’t understand, you don’t have a clue. Alright nee bother.”

It would be the last conversation he had with them.

Jamie was seen at 9.48pm walking towards the train station.

The post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death was ‘multiple injuries consistent with being struck by a train’.

A toxicology report showed traces of alcohol, cannabis and cocaine.

Assistant Coroner Leslie Hamilton recorded a conclusion of suicide.

He said: “For me, the most notable thing is that he stands for a minute and a half on the track then steps across to the other lane just as the train approaches.

“I’m satisfied that Jamie wished to take his own life, he was able to stand in the same position and purposefully step across.”

Mrs McKitten said the family was satisfied with the outcome of the inquest.

She said: “It is what we thought it would be.

“There was no doubt about it.

“It was the only outcome.”

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