AN AUTISTIC teenager who died during a stay at an NHS unit had been improving and making friends, an inquest heard.

Jonathan Cowee, a charge nurse at Slade House in Headington, said Connor Sparrowhawk had "enjoyed being there" and was moving towards discharge.

The 18-year-old arrived at the unit in March 2013 and died in the bath after an epileptic fit in the bath on July 4, 2013.

He had been admitted to the Short Term Assessment and Treatment unit (STATT) after growing agitated and physically aggressive shortly before his 18th birthday.

Speaking at Oxford Coroner's Court yesterday, Mr Cowee said: "Connor was slightly unusual in that he was in a 'transition stage'.

"We were getting into a time where we were moving towards discharge. His mum wanted him to go back to school and had a longer-term ambition that he would go to college."

He added that Connor's friendship with others had been a "beautiful" thing and an "enclave of civility" within the unit.

A report dated June 10 stated: "The STATT is a challenging environment yet he clearly enjoys being there.

"CS socialises in the evenings with two other male patients and they have a laddish interaction which has he is immersed in despite the fact that they are very different people. This is unusual for STATT."

Elsewhere it was noted that Connor was interested in girls and, although unwilling to take part in most activities, would go to TRAX, an Oxford-based charity offering mechanical training to young people.

Mr Cowee and consultant psychiatrist Valerie Murphy also confirmed that an earlier incident in which Connor had bitten his tongue was not related to epilepsy.

The teen was checked on in the bath every 15 minutes and out of it every 10, though this was changed to hourly intervals when he showed no evidence of having fits.

The inquest continues.