Obsessed teenager hanged himself

A teenager who became obsessed by the death of the rock star Kurt Cobain and was "brain-washed" by his lyrics hanged himself in his mother's spare bedroom, an inquest was told yesterday. Nicholas Povey, 17, idolised the lead singer of Nirvana who shot himself in April 1994. Nicholas left behind a folder in which he had scribbled lyrics written by the band.

His mother, Lynette Griffiths, told the inquest at Portsmouth, Hampshire that her son had become brain-washed by Cobain's death. In a statement read to the hearing she said Nicholas "idolised" the rock star and said had no other reason to kill himself. His body was found by his step-father at their home in Portsmouth, on 12 January. The coroner James Kenroy, recorded a verdict of suicide, saying: "Clearly he had come under the influence of this particular rock star. It seemed from his writings that he had almost an obsession with his music and lyrics and he clearly had idolised him, tragically where he wished to follow his idol even into death."