Adam Smith killed himself after he was subjected to insults from internet trolls on a video he posted

A teenager who was bullied by online trolls posted a heartbreaking video on YouTube before killing himself, an inquest heard.

Adam Smith, 19, who had learning difficulties, was bombarded with spiteful remarks and accused of plagiarism over a short story he put on a website.

In response to the vicious bullying, he posted a video on YouTube entitled ‘I’m sorry’ where he apologised for any misunderstanding.

But he was lambasted again by cruel users, who mocked him saying his speech problems were so bad it made them laugh.

Days later he was seen crying as he walked to a railway line near his home, where he was hit by a two-carriage train.

At the inquest into his death, the coroner condemned YouTube as ‘dangerous in the extreme’ and said vulnerable people who used it were at risk of harm.

Alan Walsh said: ‘I do believe that YouTube and some of the exchange of information and communication by comment, without knowing the individual’s reaction to the comment, is dangerous.

‘Adam was very dependent on his computer and the internet, in particular YouTube, for social communication and enjoyment but sadly he would then be susceptible to judgment by people who never met him, did not know him and were not aware of the problems he had during his formative years. I see that as a very dangerous environment.’

Earlier the inquest heard Adam had learning difficulties and problems with his speech and memory. But he attended college and had hoped to one day own a café.

In his spare time, he enjoyed writing fantasy stories about the characters from the children’s cartoon My Little Pony on a fiction website.

He would spend a lot of time on the internet and had a webcam set up in his room to speak to friends he made online.

But in May, he was ‘struck off’ from the website over claims one of his stories had been copied from another user.

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Pain: When the 19-year-old was accused of copying another 'fan fiction' enthusiast's story and threatened with expulsion from a website he posted the upsetting video entitled: 'I'm sorry' on YouTube

Less than two weeks after he uploaded the video, Adam was seen crying as he walked to a railway line

Hounded: The railway bridge where Adam killed himself. He had learning difficulties and problems with speech and long term memory

His mother Amanda, who lives in Atherton, Greater Manchester, with her husband Joseph, said her son was ‘upset and angry’ and had begun to receive nasty comments.

On May 11, he recorded a five-minute video to apologise. Looking forlorn, he said: ‘I know the people out there think I’m a d***. It’s just I don’t want a bad reputation on me.

‘I know I read the comments. I know I’m a coward. I know I deleted the comments.

‘I am scared. I hate getting a bad reputation. I just want to say I’m sorry.’

But he was further targeted by cruel messages about his speech problems, one of which read: ‘I don’t recommend you to make videos with talking ... otherwise I’ll just lol (laugh out loud).’

Another commenter said: ‘I didn’t understand a single f****** thing,’ while a third posted: ‘Umm ... no offence, but you shouldn’t skip English lessons at school dude.’

A screen grab of Adam Smith's tumblr page. Online he called himself a 'Brony', a term for a fan of children's TV show My Little Pony, and wrote fantasy stories about the franchise under the name 'Galaxystar'

BRONIES: BIZARRE SUBCULTURE SURROUNDING A CHILDREN'S TV SHOW A 'Brony' (a combination of 'bro' and 'pony') is a male fan, typically aged 18 to 35, of the children's TV show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The cartoon, about magical talking horses, found an unlikely audience among these men, who are reportedly drawn to the characters, stories, and animation style. Though initially an ironic trend drawing humour from the concept of grown men enjoying a show aimed at young girls, the fans developed an appreciation of the critically-lauded show. They show their appreciation by creating internet memes, writing fan fiction, and creating music, art, and videos based on the show. Advertisement

Grief: Adam Smith's parents Joseph and Mandy Smith. In a statement his father said Adam did not have many friends and would spend all of his time on his own or on his computer

A childhood picture of Adam. He left a note saying he could not carry on any more and that he could not be himself

On May 24, Adam’s parents returned home from a shopping trip to find him missing. His mother then discovered a note in a bundle of papers on his bed.

That day, the couple were contacted by police who said that Adam’s body had been found.

It emerged that the teenager had posted a last video on May 20 called ‘My mind is made up. What is done is done’.

He said: ‘I know there’s certain people, I know who you are, and yes, you can say all those things you want.’

Police believe bullies posted more vile comments in the hours before Adam’s death.

They later examined 73 videos uploaded by the teenager, but found that most messages had probably been deleted after news spread of the tragedy.

Recording a verdict of suicide at the hearing in Bolton, Mr Walsh said websites such as YouTube do not take into account that those using them may be vulnerable.

He added: ‘They do not take account of sensitivity and the reaction of people who have received these comments. The evidence I have heard is that Adam was a sensitive young man.’