Teenage horse rider from Wantage took his own life at Cheltenham College, coroner's court hears
9:00am Friday 5th July 2013 in News 
By Pete Hughes, Reporter. Call me on 01865 425431
THE teenage nephew of a former champion racehorse trainer was found in his room at the prestigious Cheltenham College having taken his own life, a coroner was told.
Jack Bowlby was 16 and died just a day after he decided to put himself back on a controversial acne drug, the inquest heard at Gloucester Coroner?s Court heard yesterday.
The teenager, from Wantage, was prescribed the drug Roacutane but stopped taking it following a series of "very dark thoughts".
He told the matron at the ?30,000-a-year boarding school he wanted to restart the prescription and took a tablet the night before he died in October 2012.
The inquest heard that Jack, the nephew of former champion racehorse trainer Jenny Pitman, was first prescribed the drug in December 2011 after he complained about a problem with acne.
College doctors referred him to specialist Dr James Milne at the Nuffield Hospital in Cheltenham, where he was prescribed Roacutane on December 6 and told to return if he experienced any signs of depression.
He was taking 40mg a day until January 11, 2012 when he asked to increase the dosage to 60mg to make sure the drug was working.
School matron Tracey Hopson increased the dose to 60mg after checking with Dr Milne's secretary.
But just two weeks later Jack told Mrs Hopson he was experiencing "very bad thoughts".
Assistant deputy coroner Tom Osbourn heard that Jack returned to school to complete the Easter and summer terms and sit GCSEs after the prescription was reduced.
Staff kept a regular check on him and he no longer appeared to be depressed.
When he returned to school in September following the summer break he told staff he had stopped taking the tablets.
But just four weeks later, on October 1, he asked for Roacutane again and died on October 12, the day after taking his first tablet.
The inquest heard boys at the school had picked up on the mood swings he was experiencing.
Jack Severn, a fellow pupil in Hazelwell House, said: "There was a discussion between the boys in the house about how the pills were responsible for his mood swings, but I never personally spoke to Jack about it.
"He was prone to mood swings and he had had a reputation for them.
"One moment he would be really jolly and then the next he would get down or quite angry.
But I had no concerns about him the day, or weeks, before his death."
The inquest heard Jack competed in the 'Horse of the Year Show' at Hickstead, West Sussex, the weekend before his death.
But although he rode well, he returned to the school disappointed by his performance.
He had also argued with his parents in September, following one of his changes in mood, and as a result he was banned from entering a competition due the weekend after his death.
The inquest heard Jack had researched suicide notes on the internet just days before he was found dead.
The hearing continues.
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