A 12-year-old girl from Poole, Dorset, took her own life after becoming increasingly withdrawn and spending late nights on her phone, an inquest has heard. Angel Karanja, described by her father as a once "model student," struggled with the transition from primary to secondary school, which affected her attendance and academic performance.

Angel began attending Cornerstone Academy, a secondary school with around 600 pupils, the previous year. According to her father, Eliud Matindi, she found the larger school environment difficult and became reluctant to attend classes regularly. "She missed a lot of classes and her academic performance was affected," Matindi told the hearing in Bournemouth.

Over time, Angel isolated herself, spending more hours playing Minecraft and watching YouTube videos on her phone. Her father described her as becoming “almost nocturnal,” sleeping during the day and being active on her phone late at night. Police discovered that she had received messages on Snapchat as late as 5 a.m. on the day of her death, which occurred on March 17.

Despite police investigations, no evidence of cyberbullying or searches related to suicide were found on her electronic devices, and Angel left no note. Friends interviewed by police provided mixed accounts, with one reportedly saying Angel had been bullied by a group of girls at a sleepover, while another recalled Angel expressing that she would “rather be in hell than at school.”

On the morning of March 17, her father called to wake her for school but received no response. He found her hanged in her bedroom and called emergency services, but paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

Matindi said he had hoped Angel was beginning to improve, noting better attendance and that she had formed a group of friends in Year 8. “She was the light of all our lives and brightened every single day,” he said. “She will forever be missed by us all.”

Coroner Brendan Allen recorded a narrative conclusion that Angel’s death was caused by ligature suspension but noted that her intentions were not explained by the evidence available.

The inquest highlights concerns over the difficulties some young people face adjusting to secondary school environments and the potential impact of extensive late-night phone use on mental health.

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