- For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details
A 16-year-old girl was found dead at a disused hotel a day after her family reported her missing, an inquest has heard.
Kianna Patton was reported missing from her home in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire in Wales on October 23, 2019.
Her body was then discovered in the grounds of a derelict hotel in nearby Pembroke Dock the following afternoon.
A post mortem examination gave Kianna’s medical cause of death as pressure on her neck by hanging.
She was described by her family as having a ‘heart of gold’ and being a good school student, predicted As and Bs at GCSE.
But her family told senior Pembrokeshire coroner, Gareth Lewis, that she lacked self-confidence and her grades had been plummeting before her tragic death.
Her mother Joanne said: ‘Kianna was the eldest of my three children. She was a loving, carefree, kind, selfless, genuine person who often put people before herself and had a great sense of humour. She had a heart of gold.
‘She loved listening to Beyoncé. She never got the chance to see her but she would’ve loved that. She had a deep love for music and Beyoncé’s Halo was one of her favourites.
Kianna Patton, pictured, was found dead aged 16 at a disused hotel a day after her family reported her missing, an inquest has heard
She was reported missing from her home in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire on October 23, 2019
‘For her 16th birthday we went shopping in Cardiff and then went to see Pink at the Principality Stadium. We then stayed in a Premier Inn overnight.’
She said Kianna, who loved Irish dancing and spending time with her family, had once helped save the life of a depressed woman.
Joanne added: ‘She was a beautiful girl with stunning brown hair down to her waist but, unfortunately, she could not see that she was beautiful and she couldn’t understand why she didn’t have a boyfriend. She had a very low opinion of herself.
‘She taught me that love, life, and connection means far more than perfection ever could.’
The Pembrokeshire inquest heard that Kianna will be remembered for her ‘heart of gold and an infectious smile’.
Kianna began experimenting with cannabis in 2018 and her school grades took a heavy hit, her mother told the court.
She said: ‘There were several times I had to call the police because her phone was switched off and she wasn’t where she was supposed to be.’
Her body was then discovered in the grounds of a derelict hotel in nearby Pembroke Dock, pictured, the following afternoon
She was described by her family as having a ‘heart of gold’ and being a good school student, predicted As and Bs at GCSE
Around that time Kianna’s younger sister found her ‘on the floor and not overly responsive’.
Joanne said: ‘It was out of the ordinary, there was never any signs that she was struggling or that she was desperate to do such a thing.’
She added that she argued with Kianna over her cannabis use and during one row her daughter hit her.
The inquest, set to last six weeks, continues.
- For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details
