Tragic David (58) took his own life after leaving mental health unit, inquest hears

David Beech (58), of Station Road in Dinnington, was found dead at the bottom of Brookhouse viaduct on July 5 last year — three days after police said he had been reported missing.

Mr Beech had been detained under the Mental Health Act by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and referred to the Swallownest Court mental health unit on June 17, according to liaison team manager Jack Rowley.

Dr Nicola Thomas, consultant psychologist at Swallownest Court, said Mr Beech would speak with her about “socio-emotional financial pressures” that “overwhelmed him” amid concerns that if his father, who was ill, died he could become homeless and struggle to pay household bills.

Mr Beech, who was unemployed and had lived at his father’s home all his life, had told Dr Thomas and other medical staff that he had not wanted to end his life when he had self-harmed in the past but he had done so in order to “get the help and support he needed when faced with difficult situations”.

She added that Mr Beech’s anxiety had been triggered by “mental stresses” he suffered because he “did not have the skills and life experience to cope with the challenges he faced”.

Dr Thomas said despite attempts to engage with Mr Beech on his health, she would often “go back to issues relating to the impacts his father’s death would have on him” and added he “did not engage” with therapy sessions.

Before he was discharged, Swallownest Court had provided Mr Beech with contacts to seek support and guidance around mental health and were working on helping him access financial help, the inquest heard.

The court heard how Mr Beech had been discharged on June 30 under RDaSH’s home treatment service, whose staff had arranged to visit him again three days later.

A nurse had attempted to make the follow-up visit on July 2 but received no answer at his address and he had not responded to phone calls.

Mr Beech’s friends told the inquest he had “always struggled with daily life”.

Martin Dawson, Gail Richardson, Rita Bibby all said they had last seen him on July 2 at 9.15am, when he had been in an “agitated state” about his financial predicament.

An eywitness from Brookhouse said they had seen a man walking on a railway line and taken a picture which they forwarded to police later that day as part of the missing person’s investigation.

Dep Sgt Henry Fowler, of British Transport Police, said officers had searched the area and discovered a body — which turned out to be Mr Beech — on the evening of July 5.

The cause of death was recorded as traumatic injuries caused by falling.

Toxicology Dr Stephen Morley said there had been no illicit drugs or alcohol in Mr Beech’s body.

There were prescribed drugs, such as diazepam and tramadol, but Dr Morley said they had been at “therapeutic levels” and commonly used to “treat pain relief”, which “did not increase a risk of falling”.

Mr Beech’s sister, Suzanne Beech, said her brother had always been shy.

She said he had struggled with his mental health and their mother’s death in 2020 had “him him hard”.

She added: “I am now on my own.

“It’s a shame what happened to him and I wish there had been another way.

“I loved my brother and hope he’s in a happier place.”

Sharon Greensill, deputy director for organisational learning and inquests at RDASH, said lessons had been learnt following Mr Beech’s death and they would encourage “collaborative work” with other trusts to offer best practice.

The Doncaster Coroner, Ms Louise Slater, recorded a conclusion of suicide, saying: “David died from multiple injuries sustained after he deliberately fell from Brookhouse viaduct from height.”