A TEENAGER who took his own life by jumping in front of a train near Bicester died four years after his father killed himself the same way. Marcus Rawlings, 19, died instantly when he was hit by a train near Bucknell Road on April 8.

His death came four years after the death of his father Andrew Rawlings, 43, who committed suicide by jumping in front of a train in Buckinghamshire. Last night Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter ruled that Marcus had committed suicide, and died from “multiple traumatic injuries”. The inquest at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court heard that Wycombe Wanderers fan Marcus, who moved to Bicester with his family, had been a happy teenager who had attended Aylesbury Grammar School and then Waddesdon sixth form.

He had a job at McDonald’s in Aylesbury and was hoping to be able to join the Army, but had hurt his leg during a session at a dry ski slope and had had to cancel a snowboarding holiday with friends and take time off work. He also had to miss an Army selection event.

In a statement to the coroner, Marcus’s girlfriend Megan Benfield said the injury to his leg had “seemed to frustrate him”, but that he still seemed “positive and upbeat about the future” until April 7, when she received a text from him saying he wanted to tell her something important.

She got to his house at 3pm, and said he told her: “I don’t know how to tell you this but I won’t be here tomorrow.”

She said: “After about an hour he seemed to be more like himself and started talking about future plans.

“Before I left I asked him to go to the doctor. I made him promise to seek some help and he said he would.”

Marcus left his home in Oxlip Leys at about 12.30pm the following day and was seen by family friend Steve Hunt, who said he seemed cheerful.

The next person to see him was train driver Peter Ward, who was driving the 12.18pm service from London Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon.

Mr Ward said: “I was travelling 60 to 70mph. At approximately 1.10pm I saw a man who seemed to appear out of nowhere and seemed to quicken his pace as he approached the track. I just about had time to sound the horn when I heard a considerable bang.”

Marcus was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedic James Briggs at 1.58pm.

His mum Tracey, who was at the inquest, said Megan had discovered letters to family members on his laptop, and that he had also sent a text indicating his intention to another friend. In a statement, she added: “He was a happy, contented son who had his life ahead of him.”

Mr Salter said it was clear Marcus had intended to kill himself because he had left notes for members of his family and sent “worrying” texts to friends.

He said: “The verdict I need to consider in this case first and foremost is one of suicide, and that does seem to me to be the correct verdict in this case.

“I have to consider, from a legal point of view, what is in someone’s mind, what their intention is, and although there was no mental health history and he saw his GP on April 5 and she had no cause for concern, it would appear to have been his intention to take his own life.”

The Buckinghamshire coroner’s office yesterday confirmed a verdict of suicide had been reached at an inquest into the death of Andrew Rawlings on January 16, 2009, near Soulbury.