EVEN being in the care of a mental health facility wouldn’t have prevented the death of dad-of-two Paris Johnson, an inquest heard.

On its second day, the inquest into the death of Mr Johnson, pictured, heard that in the opinion of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership he was not suffering from a mental illness.

Deputy Coroner Peter Hatvany heard evidence yesterday from clinical experts before delivering the verdict that he had killed himself.

The inquest heard how Dr Srinivas Gopi, staff grade doctor at Sandalwood at the time of Mr Johnson’s death and Dr James Woolley, a registered senior mental health nurse at Sandalwood Court, visited Mr Johnson for an assessment of his mental health at his sister’s home on the morning of August 7, after he had been referred to them by Great Western Hospital following an incident of self harming.

Dr Gopi said in a statement read out by the coroner that Mr Johnson’s self harm showed no evidence of moderate or severe mental illness but had been triggered by the death of his father.

He also believed that he had denied any suicidal thoughts and that he had no active thoughts of self harm.

Dr Gopi’s statement also said that Mr Johnson had admitted to drinking between 20 and 28 units of alcohol per day which would have had a detrimental effect on his mood, which led to them recommending that his best option was visiting Swindon and Wilthsire Alcohol and Drug service rather than being admitted to Sandalwood, a service that he had visited the day after he was assessed. His family has disputed this fact.

Jacqueline, Paris’s sister, said: “I personally didn’t think he had an alcohol issue. I think he would binge drink or drink to stop the pain. When my father died that affected him quite dramatically. I think he drank because of the grief, it masked the pain of his father’s death.”

Dr Gopi said that a lack of evidence and the presence of a supportive family all served to reduce their assessment of risk at the time, and he thought that Paris may have been suicidal but not mentally ill.

Dr Woolley said in the inquest that they did not believe that Paris was suffering from a severe and enduring mental illness and that even if he had been admitted, Paris still may have killed himself.

He said: “People who are determined to kill themselves will find a way. There was no guarantee that we could keep him safe even in the hospital. We really thought that going to the drug and alcohol service was his best help.”

Dr Peter Swinyard, Mr Johnson’s GP, said he had voiced his concerns on the mental health of his patient days before he took his own life. He said: “I thought that he was at high risk. I very seldom pick up the phone and refer a patient to the crisis team. I had formed the opinion at the time that Mr Johnson was suffering from severe depression. I don’t think that taking your own life is a sign of being emotionally well. I was expecting them to admit him for his own health, whether under the mental health act or not. He slashed his wrists and then after took an overdose, that’s more than just a cry for help.”

The pathology report did not show any significant signs of alcohol or drugs in Paris’s system at the time of his death.

In the coroner’s summing up, he read a note left by Paris to his family which was discovered with his body.