The mother of the youngest person to die behind bars in Britain wept yesterday as she told an inquest about the final months of her son’s life.

Adam Rickwood was 14 when he was found hanged in his room at Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in Co Durham in August 2004. The teenager was on remand at the unit, 150 miles from his home in Burnley, Lancashire.

An inquest opened yesterday at Chester-le-Street Magistrates’ Court, where the jury was instructed only to decide how the young man died.

Andrew Tweddle, the Durham Coroner, said: “Nobody is on trial here and we are not here to blame anyone. We are simply here to find out what happened. Adam was only 14 and, as far as I know, is the youngest person ever to die in some sort of penal institution.”

During the morning session of the inquest, which is scheduled to last three weeks, the jury had to be sent out when the youngster’s mother broke down in tears.

Carole Pounder told the jury that her son had been a “fit and healthy young lad” but went off the rails when his grandfather, whom he had regarded as a father, died when Adam was 10. He got to know an older crowd and began a life of minor crime. “It [Hassockfield] was 150 miles away from where we lived and he was scared,” she said.

She added: “On July 20 [2004] I went to a meeting with the youth offending team and was allowed to speak to Adam after the meeting. He was in an awful state, shaking from head to foot. He said, ‘Mam, I need to get out of here. I can’t cope. I’m going to end up hurting myself or doing myself in’.

“I told them to watch him and they told me he would be watched constantly.”

Richard Hermer, representing the family, read out letters written by Adam to his family. One said: “I need to be at home with you. I can just about last until my court date. It’s not right, my head is f*****. I need to be at home in my own bed or I will crack up . . . I will try and kill myself and I will probably succeed.”

Jill Rigg, director of children’s integrated services at Lancashire County Council, said that Adam had been known to social services since the age of 3. She said that he had been sent to Hassockfield because there were no suitable beds in Lancashire.

The inquest continues.

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