Sucide taxi driver was 'failed' by mental health chiefs says distraught mum
01 October 2010
A depressed taxi driver took his life hours after begging mental health teams to detain him for his own safety, an inquest heard.
Stuart Roy Lester, 39, was found decapitated behind the wheel of his Vauxhall Vectra in the early hours of January 19.
Shocked pharmacy worker Madeleine Owen, of Bromborough, made the discovery in the car park of Market Square, Ellesmere Port, as she made her way to work.
“I saw a car which was in such a position in the car park that I thought it had been stolen. As I walked towards it I was telephoning the police, but then inside I saw what I initially thought was a tailor’s dummy. Then I realised it was human. I burst out crying.”
The Chester Inquest heard how prior to his death just after 5.36am, Mr Lester, described as a quiet, polite, private man, had sent a text message to both his father and sister saying: “I am sorry, I love you.”
His mother Marjorie Hall, and other loved ones, listened as evidence from Stuart's father and mental health teams confirmed that the day before his suicide a desperate Mr Lester pleaded with psychiatric workers to be sectioned.
The inquest held by coroner for Cheshire Nicholas Rheinberg, heard how Mr Lester, a driver for Cozey Cars, had been battling depression since 2004 and had a drinking problem.
He had told psychiatric teams he had been increasingly harbouring suicidal thoughts and, having obtained a rope, had recently completed a ‘trial run’ and visited Capenhurst Station with the intention of taking his own life, but had ‘bottled out’.
Mr Lester, of Horstone Gardens, Ellesmere Port, made the admissions to psychiatric teams while he was being treated for alcohol related health problems at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Mr Lester continued to voice feelings of being low and met with highly experienced psychiatric liaison social worker Peter Williams, who recorded him as being a ‘medium to high suicide risk’, and had made such an opinion known to psychiatric crisis teams who later met with Mr Lester and authorised his discharge from hospital for ongoing assessment.
Asked by Mr Rheinberg what impression he had been given by the taxi driver during the initial meeting, Mr Williams said he had been “very concerned” about his suicidal tendencies: “My impression was that Stuart had longstanding depression and suicidal ideation at the time.”
The inquest heard evidence from Nurse Sian Williams, who formed part of the psychiatric team, which made the decision to discharge him.
Nurse Williams said she and a colleague met with Mr Lester and after a discussion between the parties about the different treatments available, he had agreed to a home treatment plan of care.
Mr Rheinberg said: “Here you have got someone who is expressing a strong wish to stay in hospital, someone who is actively suicidal and is seen by a very experienced social worker who has outlined the risks. Isn’t it sensible to take someone of this nature in to hospital?”
In reply, nurse Williams said Mr Lester was agreed to the home treatment plan and said that she and her team had made the decision based on the evidence presented to her from meeting with him.
“Obviously this is not the outcome we would have wanted,” she said.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Mr Rheinberg told Mr Lester’s family: “I am sorry to meet you in these circumstances. This must have been quite a traumatic ordeal for all of you.”
After the inquest Mr Lester’s mother questioned the decision to discharge her son from hospital despite his pleas to be detained, and later told the Leader: “My son was failed. He called me to say he was staying in hospital and he sounded so relieved. Why didn’t they listen? They let him out when he so obviously needed further help. If Stuart had received that help he might still be here today. My son was desperate.”
She now plans to write to the medical ombudsman to report what she says were” clear medical failings” in the treatment of her son.
Source; http://www.chesterfirst.co.uk/news/9265 ... t-mum.aspx
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