A TEENAGER who was found hanged at a North-East hospital was a bright girl who did not intend to kill herself, an inquest heard.

Samantha McCartney, who had a history of severe self-harm, was found hanging in Darlington Memorial Hospital's accident and emergency department just hours after she was admitted.

She died two days later when her life support machine was switched off.

The 16-year-old, of Forest Moor Road, Darlington, had been brought to the hospital at 2.30am on May 10, 2004, after she was found in the street with a can of petrol by her side.

She had been drinking and smelled of petrol.

The inquest heard that she had attempted to hang herself three times before and had a lattice pattern of scars on her arms where she had cut herself in the past. She had also ingested glass and jewellery.

Giving evidence, on the second day of the hearing in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, yesterday, her mother, Sharon Harding, said she had been with her daughter that evening from 6pm until 11.30pm, and Samantha had drunk only one glass of wine.

Mrs Harding said her daughter had improved in the months before her death and that on the evening before she was admitted to hospital, her daughter, who was due to start a new job the following Monday, had been happy.

She said: "Samantha didn't want to die. She was looking forward to the future."

Mrs Harding said Samantha was bright girl who loved reading and drawing and had an ambition to work with disabled children.

Dr David Viva, who was the accident and emergency doctor working at the time of Samantha's death, told the inquest he first saw her about an hour after she was admitted.

He said she was drunk and uncooperative but not aggressive when he tried to examine her.

Dr Viva said he decided to admit her to a general hospital ward, due to her age and history, so she could be examined by psychiatrists later.

He said: "From her general demeanour, it seemed she was not aggressive.

"She was not directly communicating with me threats of self-harm. She seemed to be drunk."

Dr Amy Holley, who examined Samantha about 15 minutes before she was found hanged, said she had been shocked to see the troubled teenager's medical history but did not think she would self-harm that night.