Anugrah Abraham, 21, from Bury, was afraid of losing his job and had nightmares about work, his father says

Anugrah Abraham was studying for a degree apprenticeship with West Yorkshire police. Photograph: family handout

A trainee police officer suffered bullying and racism before his death, his father told an inquest.

Anugrah Abraham, 21, from Bury, Greater Manchester, feared he would lose his job and had nightmares about his station sergeant sitting on his chest strangling him, Rochdale coroner’s court heard.

The claims, made by his father, Amar Abraham, at the hearing, were not accepted by West Yorkshire police (WYP), the force’s lawyer said.

He was struggling under the pressure of working as a trainee PC and also university work for his degree apprenticeship with WYP, the court heard. But his father claimed he was also being bullied and suffered racism.

He said his son was born in Delhi, the youngest of three with two older sisters, and the family came to live in the UK in 2003. Abraham said his son applied to join the police in October 2021 but problems started after April 2022 when he was posted to Halifax police station.

Amar Abraham said: “He mentioned there is bullying and racism culture there: ‘My sergeant used to bully me a lot, even if I do correct.’ He was completely lost, really. We loved him so much. The last days before he took his own life he mentioned: ‘I can’t take it, so much pressure on me. There’s no support from anywhere.’”

The senior coroner for Greater Manchester North, Joanne Kearsley, asked Abraham: “Do you think Anu understood how difficult it might be working and doing a degree at the same time?”

Abraham said that “initially” Anugrah was confident but that he had been “fearful” of his son joining the force, adding: “It’s a very challenging job.”

His father added: “He always said nobody came to me and said: ‘Well done boy’. He was always criticised. He said, they put me on another management plan, to sack him. He was under a lot of pressure and fearful.”

Kearsley said records showed officers had on occasion told the young recruit he had done a good job. And GP records showed Abraham visited his doctor in June 2022 suffering low moods, stress and anxiety, though did not identify any “triggers” for his feelings.

Shortly before his death, the trainee officer was given two weeks’ study leave and went with friends to Amsterdam. Before he went, his sergeant had told him he needed a further development and management plan.

By March 2023, he had been unhappy for six months since being posted to Halifax, the inquest heard, and he told his father he was suffering nightmares.

Abraham said: “He felt that his sergeant was the weight sitting on his chest trying to strangle him. I think he was so scared. I don’t know what was going on in the police station.”

He advised his son to find another job before leaving the force. On 3 March last year, one day before he was due back in work, Anugrah Abraham spent time applying for jobs then left the family home. He was found dead in woodland nearby the next day.

Hugh Davies, representing WYP, listed the support the young officer had received, including from his sergeant and colleagues, and said the reason he was on a development plan was to support him. He also had an assessor and a mentor and was referred to occupational health as well as a counsellor.

Davies also said while in the force, Abraham’s dyslexia was spotted for the first time and he received help with that. Davies said: “Some of his friends in the police thought they got the impression the family would be disappointed if he did not finish his degree?”

“No,” replied Abraham.

The inquest, scheduled to last three weeks, continues.