A MISSING man was found hanged just days after being discharged from a controversial hospital unit, an inquest heard.
Jonathan Stent, 20, had been discharged from Epsom Hospital's Elgar mental health ward the day before he went missing, and his body was found in woodland near Ashtead Station three days later.
Last week the Advertiser heard from the families of former patients of Elgar and Delius wards at Epsom, two of whom had gone on to commit suicide, who claimed the wards had "failed" their loved ones.
Mr Stent disappeared from his home in Skinners Lane, Ashtead, on September 7 last year and, after a search by police, his body was found by four teenagers on September 10.
Giving evidence to the inquest yesterday (Wednesday) Michael Connelly, a Surrey County Council mental health professional, said he was assigned as Jonathan's care coordinator on September 5 and phoned Elgar ward that morning.
He said: "The impression that I was given was that staff on the ward believed Jonathan did not have severe depression but his main problem was drug abuse."
He added: "My understanding was that the risks of self-harm were low."
On Monday Mr Stent's mother, Caroline Stent, told Woking Coroner's Court about her son's battle with depression and history of cannabis, alcohol and ketamine abuse.
"I first became aware that he was troubled when he was 16 but his father and I were going through a divorce so I put it down to that," she said. "I wasn't seriously concerned at that stage.
"It was a real rollercoaster with him. His mood would go from extremely low to elation from day to day."
Mr Stent told his mother he was depressed in 2009 and made two suicide attempts that year. He made two further attempts in August 2011 and was taken to Epsom Hospital.
He was treated on Chuter Ede ward, but absconded twice and was admitted to the psychiatric unit on Elgar ward on August 18.
Five days later he was released on leave, before being formally discharged on September 6.
Mrs Stent told the court her son spoke about being a burden and "not wanting his whole life ahead of him" when he returned from hospital.
She said: "One day he said to me 'no one can help me.' He spoke about being in emotional pain."
Pathologist Dr Mohammad Ameen performed a post mortem and said the cause of death was asphyxiation and hanging.
He also told the court the level of ketamine found in his bloodstream by the toxicologist was not high enough to indicate an overdose.
The inquest was expected to finish today (Thursday).
For the verdict, see next week's paper.
