Apology after three-year wait into death probe

A coroner has apologised to the family of a Spalding man who experienced a three-year wait for an inquest into his death to be concluded.

Stephen Martin (46) was found hanged on January 19, 2019, but his case was only heard this month at Lincoln Coroner’s Court.

While ruling his death as a suicide, coroner Paul Cooper apologised to the family for the length of time it took for the inquest to be completed.

He also found there had been ‘no issues’ with both Mr Martin’s employer Anglian Water and the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which was responsible for his treatment for mental health issues.

The inquest heard that Mr Martin’s family felt he had been bullied at Anglian Water but the company’s own inquiry said this was not the case.

Statements read out in court from colleagues stated he was a valued member of the team and that they’d offered support when they said it was clear he was struggling with anxiety.

The hearing was also told Mr Martin had been worried about an issue that he thought would cost Anglian Water millions, but the actual cost was far lower and the company was insured for such financial losses.

He had a history of anxiety and had been sectioned at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston previous to being found hanged.

The hearing was told Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust had made changes to its processes as part of its inquiry into Mr Martin’s death.

The coroner agreed no issues with the care were evident which would have contributed to his death.

Stephen’s wife Sarah said: “Steve was a loyal, reliable, loving and dependable man. He loved his family and lived for his children, Lauren and Oliver. He was a real people person and had always been really outgoing.

“When he began to struggle with his mental health, it was really hard on us all and we thought that him being admitted to hospital would be the best thing and would make sure he received the care he needed to come back home to his family. I never once thought he would take his own life.

“More than three years on, it’s still a huge shock to me and some days I still struggle to cope with the grief.

“While the inquest has been tough, having to relive everything, I’m grateful that it’s now over. I want to raise awareness of the fact that mental illness doesn’t discriminate and anyone can be affected by it.

“While nothing will turn back the clock and bring Steve back, I hope that something is learned from what we’ve been through so other families don’t have to suffer like us.”

Rosie Charlton, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Sarah, said: “Losing Steve so suddenly and tragically continues to have a profound effect on his loved ones and for more than three years they have had questions about the events leading to his death.

“Sarah has understandably struggled to come to terms with her husband’s death and reliving everything at the inquest has been incredibly difficult for her.

“Mental illness can leave people extremely vulnerable and it is important that the best possible support is available. It’s now vital that any lessons are learned to help improve patient safety so other families don’t have to go through what Steve’s family have.

“We’ll continue to support Sarah as she attempts to come to terms with her loss.”