A teenager who met the Prince and Princess of Wales, after winning a design competition at the age of 10, has taken his own life after getting into trouble with the police, an inquest has heard.
Zak Kay met the royal couple in July 2016, when they were in Portsmouth, Hampshire, to cheer on Sir Ben Ainslie’s America’s Cup team.
Then a pupil at St Paul’s Catholic Primary School in Portsmouth, he had won the contest to design a trophy for the Portsmouth leg of the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS).
His winning design featured the sails of an AC45 catamaran with the star and crescent emblem of Portsmouth on it.
He gained national attention after he asked William what his son George had received for his third birthday, which had been two days earlier.
The Prince had replied: “I am not telling, he got too many things, he’s far too spoilt, he’s not into boats yet.”
An inquest into his death heard that on July 2 last year, Mr Kay, then 18, took his own life by hanging while staying at the home of a friend in Southampton.
He had left a letter saying: “I couldn’t take being hurt bad again. I am sorry I couldn’t get past this shit. Sorry that I wasn’t strong enough.”
Coroner Jason Pegg told the Winchester hearing that he was taken to Southampton General Hospital but had suffered brain damage because of cardiac arrest caused by the hanging.
He said that a decision was taken by medics on July 7 to withdraw treatment and Mr Kay died.
Mr Pegg said that Mr Kay, who was diagnosed with ADHD, had been placed in foster care in July 2017, having experienced “significant instability” and “chaotic early years” with a “lack of appropriate male role models”.
He added: “Whilst with foster carers, Zak could be violent towards them, leading to him having several foster care moves.”
Mr Pegg told the hearing, which was not attended by any family members, that in May 2024 Mr Kay was being investigated for several alleged offences, including selling cocaine and heroin, and he had breached bail conditions.
He added that Mr Kay had made a previous attempt on his life in January 2024, but had failed to respond to approaches by the adult mental health team.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, Mr Pegg said: “Zak had a chaotic and troubled childhood which resulted in Zak being cared for by various foster parents in the Portsmouth area.
“Zak’s conduct towards them meant he had various moves. Zak, at the time of his passing, was being investigated for a number of alleged offences, some of which were serious.”
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