Suicide teacher's family heartbreak

GRIEVING mother Linda Baines has told how her son was found dead, after being sacked from doing the job which meant everything to him.

Richard Baines, 28, was the adopted son of Linda and Brian Baines, from Hitchin, and has a sister Rosato.

He died in Ipswich Hospital on Tuesday last week after being found unconscious in his room the previous day at Framlingham College, Suffolk - one of the country's top private schools where fees can exceed £15,000 a year.

Mr Baines junior taught PE and maths at the school, and was said to have lived for the job he loved.

Suffolk Police say the day he was found unconscious in his room, Mr Baines, a former pupil at Highfield School, Letchworth, and Hitchin Boys School, had just been dismissed by the school following an internal disciplinary hearing.

He had also been the subject of an investigation by Suffolk Police who say they decided to take no further action.

Now his adopted mother revealed that all his organs would be donated for transplant.

"It was what he wanted," said Mrs Baines, as she struggled to speak through her tears.

"The last time I spoke to him was on Mother's Day and the next day this happened. We are all terribly shocked.

"He loved to work with young people which is why for the past five summers he had worked at the Brent Lake Summer Camp in New York State.

"We are very unhappy and want to know the truth why this happened."

Mrs Baines said their son had played rugby and was also a coach for Hitchin RFC and hockey and cricket for Letchworth.

As the Star reported on Saturday, an inquest into his death was opened and adjourned. It revealed he had died by hanging and the cause of death was given as cerebral hypoxia due to compression of the neck structures.

A full inquest into his death will be held on May 2.

The funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, Hitchin tomorrow (Friday) followed by cremation at Harwood Park Crematorium in Stevenage.