The family of a 45-year-old psychiatric patient who took his life while on overnight release from a Dublin hospital said yesterday he should never have been let out.
Ann Patton, a sister of Kevin Pringle, told the Dublin City Coroner's Court that her brother was extremely agitated on the night of March 23rd, 2004, when he was out for one night from St Vincent's hospital in Dublin.
"I feel extremely strongly that Kevin should have been in hospital on the previous night and not let out given his agitated state." Ms Patton said she had offered to take him back to St Vincent's that night but he refused, saying the day-care team would pick him up the following day.
However, the inquest heard that when staff nurse Laura Buchanan from the Crannog Day hospital, a part of St Vincent's, returned to pick him up on March 24th, she found him hanging in his flat at Killarney Court, Dublin.
The family asked why they had not been told Mr Pringle was being released overnight. The jury, which passed a verdict of death by suicide, recommended that the coroner write, without prejudice, to the hospital asking it to consider ways to inform families about temporary releases and other issues raised at the inquest.
Ms Buchanan told the court that Mr Pringle was being released for short periods as part of a supervised reintegration programme. She said they would tell Mr Pringle that he could return to the hospital at any time, as he was a temporary inpatient. The staff always ensured he had the hospital phone numbers and money for a return taxi when they dropped him off at his home. There was an assessment carried out every time someone was released to ensure they were able for it.
The inquest heard that Mr Pringle first showed signs of severe depression and paranoia after an accident in May 2003, which could have involved a fall from his bike.
A neurologist said there was no visible brain damage, but the depression could have resulted from a series of minor accidents and heavy alcohol consumption over the years.
Dr Mona Kilduff, who was the consultant psychiatrist treating Mr Pringle, said he was in an extremely bad condition in December 2003 and January 2004 - about the time she had him committed.
She said he had shown signs of recovery and had told her during interviews about his overnight visits in February and March 2004 that he had no wish to end his life.