A Basingstoke man with a history of suicide attempts died after drinking antifreeze he bought on a trip away from a psychiatric hospital, an inquest has heard.
Derek Reginald King, 58, died at Basingstoke hospital on October 9 last year, the day after drinking the poison.
The eight-strong jury delivered a narrative verdict to north Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley at Alton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (January 18).
Mr King’s sister, Sandra Barley, from Somerset, told the hearing of her concerns about his medication, suggesting it drove him to drink the antifreeze
But speaking to the Basingstoke Observer, Dr Paul Warren, a consultant psychiatrist from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, said he was confident Mr King’s treatment played no part in his death.
Mr King suffered from frequent bouts of depression and was diagnosed as bi-polar when aged 19.
The jury heard that on October 8 Mr King was granted an unsupervised trip out of Parklands hospital as part of his community rehabilitation programme.
He had been detained under the mental act after drinking antifreeze in August.
Mr King returned from his hour-long morning outing and at 3am the following day paramedics were called after nurses realised he was sick.
He was taken to Basingstoke hospital’s intensive care unit. Antifreeze in a Coke bottle was later discovered. Mr King died later that day.
His sister told the inquest that psychiatric medication given to him over a three-year period had at one point “turned him into a zombie”.
“I knew we would lose him to suicide,” Mrs Barley said. “I thought if something did not change, we would lose Derek.
“He did not like being on the drugs, he had lived life without drugs for quite a long period of time.
“Three years was too long for anyone to go through what Derek went through.”
The inquest heard that in 2009, Mr King was given a depot injection – a strong antipsychotic drug.
Mrs Barley said that since the treatment, Mr King attempted to commit suicide on five occasions, including trying to hang himself, and stabbing himself in the stomach.
She added: “I don't blame the hospital staff for Derek's death, they have my admiration for the work they do. I do, however, question the drug therapy and whether they assist the patient or make matters worse in many cases.
“Only in this last, longest episode of his illness of three years has he been adamant on suicide.
“His recent medication included on its list of side-effects worsening depression and suicidal tendencies, something Derek was definitely suffering from."
Mr King’s doctor, Louis Du Plessis, a locum consultant psychiatrist at Parklands, said the effects of the 2009 injection would wear off after a month, and further medication was given to tackle the symptoms of depression and bi-polar disorder.
And Dr Warren, who is also the foundation trust’s clinical director, said: “I am confident the drugs regime did not contribute to his suicidal feelings.”
He added that the department had conducted a review into the case and found no faults with Mr King’s care.
