A 15-year-old boy sent to live in a children's home was found hanged after months of abuse at the hands of his carer, an inquest heard.

Aaron Leafe is feared to have taken his own life just six weeks after finding the courage to report predator Anwar Ismail.

Before his death, he gave a recorded interview to police which eventually led to Ismail being jailed for child sex abuse.

Now, more than six years after the tragedy, an inquest is finally being held into the youngster's death.

Aaron Leafe was found dead weeks after reporting his former carer for child sex abuse

Chesterfield Coroners Court heard Aaron was first taken into care just before his 12th birthday. He had become increasingly difficult for his mother to control and was regularly picked up by police.

Aaron was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and later with Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of autism.

After he started fires in the family's home in Nottingham, he was taken into care and spent time at two homes in the city.

But the following year, 2007, he was sent to the Woodland Retreat in Leicester where Ismail became his key care worker.

Anwar Ismail was jailed for abusing Aaron

Ismail's trial was played a recording of Aaron telling police: 'Anwar always pressured me into having sex with him. I didn't want to do it. He gave me money. He got me a flat. He let me drive his car.

'He bought me cigarettes and cannabis. I was scared of him. I just did what I was told. That's why I did it.'

Ismael was sacked in 2008 for causing the boy an arm injury while restraining him, but continued to pursue Aaron.

In 2010, Aaron summoned the courage to go to police, but was found dead six weeks later in his room at the Ivy Cottage Children's Home in Tupton, Derbyshire.

He left a note saying: 'I can't get over what happened with me and Anwar. I hate him so much.'

A post mortem recorded the cause of death as hanging - there were no signs of any third party involvement.

Ismail was later found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child, three of child abduction, a rape and sexual activity with a child, when Aaron was between 14 and 15, between 2009 and 2010.

An inquest has heard Aaron struggled to deal with moving care homes and reporting the abuse

The inquest heard Aaron had been moved between care homes in the week before his death following a fight at his previous home, Duncanwood Lodge, near Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

Aaron's mother did not attend the first day of the inquest into his death at Chesterfield Coroner's Court this week. The coroner said she had chosen 'not to engage' with the proceedings.

But a statement she gave police was read out at the hearing. She said as Aaron left 'he kissed me goodbye and said he loved me'. He promised to ring the next day, but the call never came as he was found dead.

Her partner Terry Lawson told detectives that the last time he spoke to Aaron the teenager had told him to 'look after mum for me'. He said he took that to mean he might do something desperate, but when they tried to ring the home they could not get an answer.

Aaron's father, taxi driver Paul Leafe, who had split up from his mother years earlier, told the inquest he saw his son regularly during weekends and holidays.

He said the teenager did not cope well with change and reacted badly when unsettled.

Mr Leafe said his son was worried he would be sent to a young offenders' institute over the fight at his previous care home.

Aaron's stepmother Joanne Leafe said: 'He was worried he would not be believed, just like he thought he wouldn't be believed if he told anyone about the abuse.'

'For him to to declare he was being abused was a big, big thing.'

Six years after his death, following the trial and conviction of his abuser, an inquest is being held at Chesterfield Coroners Court (pictured)

Addressing the court Mr Newman added: 'I don't think there is any contention that the abuse took place, as the facts have been heard by a far higher court than this.'

The hearing is expected to last two weeks.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly included a photograph of a different children's home with the same name that is completely unrelated to this story.