An inquest into Reiha McLelland’s death has shed light on the relationship she had with her former teacher. Picture: Supplied

Bruce and Hinemoa McLelland told a coroner’s court hearing at Gisborne of the slowly unfolding discovery their daughter Reiha had exchanged “excessive” numbers of text messages with former teacher Sam Back.

They also questioned the involvement of Mr Back’s partner Angie Mepham, who was also in text contact with Reiha during a period in which serious concerns emerged over the teenager’s mental health.

The inquest is a sequel to hearings before the Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal that saw Mr Back struck off as a teacher and Ms Mepham cautioned over their ties to Reiha, who died in August, 2014.

The hearing before coroner Carla na Nagara heard Mr Back had taught Reiha at Gisborne Intermediate in 2013 but kept contact with her through the following year, including allowing sleepovers at the couple’s house without her parents’ knowledge.

“He’s an absolute mongrel,” said an emotional Bruce McLelland of Mr Back. “I’ll try to be dignified but these teachers are ... I can’t really say what they are.”

Former Gisborne Intermediate teacher Sam Back, who was struck off for serious misconduct. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Both parents told how they became aware of the relationship in March 2014, when Reiha had climbed out her window at night shortly after concerns had been raised as to her mental wellbeing.

She was found with Mr Back and Ms Mepham in a car near the house, and Hinemoa McLelland said her daughter would have had to walk or run 12km to get a mobile phone signal to contact the pair.

Reiha had left the house with her passport, which caused the McLellands concerns when a later police inquiry revealed a text among many from Mr Back in which he told the girl “they would travel the world together”, said Hinemoa McLelland.

No charges were laid as a result of the police inquiry, which also came in for criticism from the McLellands.

Bruce McLelland read from his original statement to police after Reiha was found dead in which he said it seemed “like [Mr Back] was sexually grooming her”.

He referred to the “relationship” that had developed between Reiha and Mr Back as “the guts of all the problems”.

“He had really worked on her and developed a strange bond,” he said of Mr Back.

There was also text, email and written communication.

Sam Back and his partner Angie Mepham. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

McLelland spoke of one such letter, written by Mr Back to Reiha after she had gone to high school while he was on a Gisborne Intermediate camp.

McLelland called it a “love letter”, in which Mr Back told the 13-year-old: “This is where our journey started from.” Reiha had been on a school camp with Mr Back the previous year.

Evidence was given that in one of the text messages, Reiha had asked Mr Back if she could stay over, to which he replied: “You know the deal. As long as all your bases are covered.”

Hinemoa McLelland recalled Reiha saying “Mr Back told her he could lose his job if anyone found out” about the contact they had. “Reiha told me ‘Mum, that must show how much he loves me if he’s willing to lose his job for me’.”

She said she told her daughter it would not be Reiha’s fault if he lost his job.

Her evidence highlighted the role of Detective Sergeant Theo Ackroyd as supervisor of Gisborne’s child protection team, which conducted the inquiry on Mr Back, and his role as chairman of the Gisborne Intermediate board of trustees.

Mr Back and Ms Mepham — who have yet to testify — were represented by lawyer Adam Simperingham, who asked McLelland to confirm that the police investigation had ruled out grooming. McLelland responded: “The police investigation was seriously flawed.”

• If you or someone you know is in need of crisis or suicide prevention support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If it is an emergency and you or someone else is at risk, call 000.

This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald.