ON THE morning that Justine Kelly discovered her 14-year-old son's body in the family garage, she told police that school bullies were responsible for his death, an inquest has heard.The inquest into Alex Wildman's suicide in July last year at his home in Goonellabah, near Lismore, opened yesterday with evidence of repeated bullying of, and violence against, him.The police officer in charge of the investigation, Constable Amanda Vidler, said a distraught Mrs Kelly told police on the morning that she found her son's body: ''He was beat up at school yesterday. Now look at him. This is what killed him. He was being bullied at school and this is why he is dead. They have a lot to answer for.''It emerged yesterday that Alex had been bashed at Kadina High School less than two days before his death, and that the assault was captured on a mobile phone.But Constable Vidler told the inquest that Kadina High vice-principal Bradd Farrell had deleted the footage from the phone immediately after the assault to prevent it being forwarded to other students.Described as complex, sensitive, and intelligent, Alex had been the victim of bullying before.''Nasty things, hurtful things were being said to Alex over the internet and these things can best be described in the parlance of these times as cyber-bullying,'' counsel assisting the coroner, Peter Hamill, SC, said. Mr Hamill said the inquest would examine the systems that the school and teachers had in place to deal with bullying.Constable Vidler said the school had stated that concerns about Alex only came to its attention on the day of the assault on school grounds.The inquest in Ballina, before the deputy state coroner, Malcolm MacPherson, is expected to hear evidence from more than 40 witnesses.It continues today.