‘My son is dead because of mental health cuts,’ mum says after inquest

A grieving mother feels her son was “totally failed” by mental health services before he stabbed himself to death.

A coroner concluded that Jeffery Mann was suffering from depression which was exacerbated by worries over the threatened withdrawal of the mental health support he received from the Highgate Day Centre, which had its funding halved by Camden Council last year in a round of social care cuts.

Mr Mann, who was 46, had used the therapeutic services at the day centre since 2011, and was under the care of Camden and Islington Trust when he was found dead at his flat in Warren Street on September 3 last year.

He had been told two weeks before that his “associate membership” at the centre was set to end.

Reaching a narrative conclusion, Assistant Coroner Richard Brittain said: “Jeffery Mann died from the consequence of self-inflicted injuries. This arose from a background of major depression.

“It is clear that he was concerned about many issues in his life which contributed to him taking this action. Some of these issues were not as real as he may have perceived, but it is apparent that planned changes to the care at his psychiatric centre were a genuine concern.”

For in-depth coverage of the case, see this week’s Ham&High, on sale now