A psychiatric patient at St James's Hospital in Dublin took her own life days after she was taken off special observation, an inquest has heard.
The family of the young woman expressed concern at the inquest that another patient staying in the same six-bed ward had been making threatening gestures towards her.
Fodhla Murray (24), Emmett Road, Inchicore, Dublin, was found by a psychiatric nurse hanging from a bed sheet tied around the headboard of her bed at the Jonathan Swift psychiatric unit at St James's on June 6th, 2005.
Eileen Kelly-Holden told Dublin City Coroner's Court that she had visited her daughter at the hospital the day before her death and she seemed in reasonable form. However, Ms Kelly-Holden was concerned when her daughter became agitated when another patient began making threatening gestures.
"We were having a conversation sitting on her bed and then she jumped up and shouted. There was a woman standing behind me with her arms out as if she was going to put them around my neck. She told me the woman was always trying to choke her," she said.
Ms Murray's grandmother once spoke to Fodhla on the phone at the hospital and was concerned when she became distressed because she said a woman came in and was trying to choke her, Ms Kelly-Holden added.
Psychiatric nurse Ken Johnston told the court Ms Murray had been under special observation a couple of days before her death. This meant she would have had a nurse or care assistant with her around the clock. Mr Johnston went to check on Ms Murray at 8pm and when he opened her curtains, he discovered Ms Murray "suspended by a bed sheet".
Mr Johnston said he was aware of another patient on the same ward who "did act out" but was unsure if Ms Murray had ever complained to staff about this.
Coroner Brian Farrell was forced to adjourn the inquest yesterday as one of the jurors became ill. All inquests reportable to the inspector of mental hospitals must be heard before a jury.