A mother whose son plunged to his death from a bridge hours after threatening to do so says he was let down by mental health services.
Tyler Smith died after suffering horrendous injuries following the 100ft fall from Stockport Viaduct. Deborah Cooper, 47, said her son had made multiple threats to jump from the viaduct to police and mental health staff hours earlier – and had tried to kill himself four times in 48 hours.
Tyler, 19, was discharged from Stepping Hill hospital by Pennine Care staff six hours before the fall after being admitted following a prescription drug overdose. He had earlier tried to strangle himself in a police cell when he was detained for stealing paracetamol after escaping from hospital. After returning to Stepping Hill, medics discharged Tyler with a prescription for three-days worth of medication. This was despite numerous suicide attempts in the previous two days and threats he would jump from the viaduct.
He downed the pills and fell from the viaduct hours later on October 9, 2014. Tyler died of his injuries a week later at Wythenshawe hospital. His death was ruled accidental after a coroner was told by a police officer he slipped from the bridge.
Mrs Cooper accused police of failing to tell mental health staff Tyler had tried to kill himself when he was detained – and slammed officers for arresting him in the first place. She said he should have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act as he was considered ‘high risk’.
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Tyler Smith
Filed under: Mental Health, mental health
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