Tragedy of hospital
patient found
hanged in his room
by David Skentelbery
SIX days after hospital chiefs had reached agreement on changing door handles identified as being a suicide risk, a mental patient hanged himself with a bed sheet tied to one of the handles, an inquest heard at Warrington.
Two days after the tragedy at Hollins Park Hospital, Warrington, the handles were replaced with a different type it was impossible to tie anything to.
Unemployed hairdresser Royston Deakin took his own life by hanging himself from the handle on the en suite door in his room at the hospital on May 27, the inquest heard.
The door handles had first been highlighted as a risk some time last year.
Coroner Dr Janet Napier said it was a tragic case of a likeable man with an emotionally unstable personality disorder taking his own life despite receiving a great deal of help by doctors, nurses, friends and his partner over a period of many years.
It was very sad that the door knobs had not been changed until two days after his death.
She recorded a suicide verdict on Mr Deakin, 42, of Trefoil Close, Birchwood, Warrington.
The inquest heard Mr Deakin had suffered from mental problems since 1985. He had taken numerous overdoses, although these appeared to be cries for help rather than serious attempts to take his own life.
He had been admitted to hospital, including Hollins Park, on many occasions.
On the day before his death, hospital staff learned from another patient, that he had a knife in his room. A search was carried out and a table knife was found, together with a quantity of cannabis. Mr Deakin admitted using cannabis that day.
He said it made him feel better, although he admitted it could result in him becoming more paranoid the following day.
Ward manager Jane Murphy Mr Deakin was on an open ward, with a mixture of patients, some of who could leave and return to the ward. There was problem with cannabis because it was not possible to search visitors, or patients going on and off the ward, because it would represent a violation of their human rights.
At the time, Mr Deakin was under observation, which meant he should be checked every 15 minutes. But although he was checked at 1.30pm, due to pressure of work, no patient was checked at 1.45pm.
His body was discovered by a nurse checking his room at 2pm. Staff tried to revive him with heart massage and mouth to mouth resuscitation but when paramedics arrived they pronounced him dead.
The inquest heard Mr Deakin had indulged in binge drinking and on one occasion was found to have drunk vodka in the hospital. It was assumed someone had smuggle alcohol into the ward.
1,600 sign petition for
canal side crash barrier
by David Skentelbery
A PETITION organised by the two survivors of the horrific accident which killed two teenagers at Grappenhall near Warrington has been handed in at the Town Hall.
One of the survivors – 17-year-old Anthony Bond – handed the list of 1,635 names to Coun Linda Dirir, the borough council’s executive member for transport.
Also present were the parents of the two youngsters who died, Gemma Biggin and Stephen Abott – both also 17.
A car driven by Stephen plunged into the Bridgewater Canal off Stockton Lane, Grappenhall, on Sunday, November 28.
Anthony, and 17-year-old Jake Edwards, managed to escape by kicking in the rear windscreen. But despite desperate efforts by police, passersby and paramedics, Stephen and Gemma died.
The grief stricken survivors decided to organise a petition calling for safety measures on Stockton Lane to prevent a similar tragedy in the future – and Gemma and Stephen’s parents gave them their full backing.
Accepting the petition, which calls for a crash barrier to be erected in Stockton Lane, Coun Dirir told members of the bereaved families: “Our thoughts are with you all at this very difficult time.
“I accept this petition, on behalf of the council, and can assure you that officers, who are already examining this issue, will take it into consideration as part of that work.
“Let me say that the council is treating this situation extremely seriously and is keen to keep you informed of progress.”
The petition has been organised in about a week and more names are being added to it daily.
Bomb squad called out
after firework attack
by staff reporter
AN Army bomb squad was called out during the night when youths attempted to wreck two cars with large display-type fireworks at Warrington.
One car on the drive of a house in Park Avenue, Great Sankey, was badly damaged when a rocket exploded inside the vehicle, shattering the windows and hurling the door skins into the street.
The second firework, in another car at the same house, failed to go off and police and fire crews cordoned off the road and evacuated the area until the bomb squad arrived to make it safe.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “A neighbour saw youths were seen running away. They had smashed the windows of both cars and thrown the fireworks inside. One, a fairly new Honda Civic, was badly damaged by the explosion.
“The door skins were hurled into the street and it was fortunate nobody was in the area at the time.
“The second car suffered no damage other than the smashed window. We could see the firework inside and called out the bomb squad to make it safe. The road was cordoned off for a couple of hours. and people were warned to keep away.
“These were not ordinary fireworks of the type you can buy in the shops. They were large professional display rockets.”
Police are investigating the incident.
Unique present for
competition winner
by Terry Johnson
WARRINGTON resident, David Roughley, has won a unique Christmas present in a website competition.
David, of Thelwall, who works for Carbo plc in Manchester, identified Cheshire artist Gordon Wilkinson, in the JPD Group training competition and won a commission for the watercolorist to paint rustic Thelwall village.
“The result was sensational”, said David, who is one of thousands of professionals who use JPD’s training seminars.
He received the painting from the artist and JPD chairman, John Hulme.
Accident victim
dies in hospital
by John Hendon
A 90-year-old woman injured when she was struck by a car while crossing the A49 London Road, Appleton, Warrington, on December 10, has died in hospital.
Police have not released the woman’s identity, but she is believed to be from the Appleton area.
The accident took place outside Warrington Golf Club and involved a white Ford Fiesta driven by an 83-year-old local man.
Police are still appealing for witnesses of the incident. Anyone who can help should call PS Mike Jones on 01244 613813.
Warning after snack
food packaging slip-up
by Terry Johnson
SAFETY watchdogs at Warrington have warned people suffering from allergies to be vigilant after a food packaging mix-up by Walkers Snack Foods.
The alert goes out to people who suffer severe allergic reaction to milk, wheat and mustard.
It follows the packaging of cheese and onion flavoured French fries into bags labelled ‘ready salted’.
The consignment of wrongly-labelled fries was mostly sent to cash-and-carry outlets.
Warrington Council enforcement officers are trying to track 11,000 of the mis-labelled packets through small retail outlets and pubs.
Trading Standards spokeswoman Edwina Greenwood said: “These products should be removed from sale and destroyed”.
The affected product is Walkers ready-salted French fries in single serve packets, coded GBC 303,318d and GBC 303, 319d.
Walkers customer helpline is 0800-274-777.
Office plans wins
approval in village
by staff reporter
A PLAN to convert a detached house into office
s for 10 people has been given the go-ahead by planners at Warrington – despite local opposition.
Sportsfactory Consulting Ltd has been given approval for the change of use in Glazebrook Lane, Glazebrook near Warrington – about 100 yards from the village railway station.
The scheme had been strongly opposed by Rixton with Glazebrook Parish Council and by the Glazebrook Residents Association.
They claimed the development would increase highway danger and lead to a loss of residential amenity for neighbours. A proposed showroom would attract visitors to a site with inadequate parking.
Twenty one nearby residents wrote individual letters of objection, claiming the development would increase traffic on an already dangerous road.
But members of the development control committee heard the applicants were proposing to make use of the railway station to minimise the use of road transport by employees.
There would be no retailing from the site, nor any light industry.
The premises would be used as a studio where product developers and designers would review ongoing products.
