Missed chances to prevent man's death in Stockton, coroner says
Police who stopped a man during a first attempt to take his life "missed opportunities" to save him hours later, a coroner said. Dean Bradley died in Stockton on 15 October 2021 a few hours after Cleveland Police had prevented him from killing himself. Teesside senior coroner Clare Bailey said police and the hostel where he was staying overnight, missed chances to secure "appropriate" mental health support for Mr Bradley.The Cleveland force has been approached for comment.
A coroner's report to prevent future deaths, said the force had helped to prevent an earlier attempt by Mr Bradley to take his life. It said officers concluded that he was under the influence of drugs and that he believed people were chasing him and wanted to kill him.The force considered contacting a mental health crisis team but did not do so, the report said. Ms Bailey said this was because officers believed the mental health team would tell them to safeguard Mr Bradley until he was "sufficiently sober" to be assessed. He was shown CCTV footage so he could see he was not being chased and taken to stay in a hostel for the night.Officers had decided the risk of suicide and self-harm had reduced and it was safe for them to leave.
'Gap in services'
However, the coroner said police did not "adequately relay" to the hostel's security officer about the circumstances in which they had found Mr Bradley. Ms Bailey said hostel staff had made it clear it was not a suitable place for those experiencing mental health crises, she said. Ms Bailey said she was concerned about issues surrounding safeguarding those with known mental health illnesses while they were intoxicated. She said an officer had said during an inquest that other regions had crisis cafes where people who were under the influence of drugs or alcohol could be supervised while waiting for a mental health assessment. "There appears to be a gap in the services available for people in this category [in this region]," the report said. Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust and NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB have been approached for comment. Cleveland Police has 56 days to respond to the coroner's concerns and outline what action it has taken or proposes to take.If you have been affected by this story the BBC Action Line has a list of organisations which are ready to provide support and advice.
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