An 'extremely bright' young man left a heartbreaking note in the window before taking his own life, an inquest heard.
Shaun Michael Bass, from Bolton, had been searching for a ‘fool proof method’ to commit suicide. The 23-year-old learned of a poisonous chemical in a ‘suicide kit’ via online forums designed to help those wanting to end their own lives.
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Donna Hasan, Shaun’s mum, told the coroner's court that on the day before his death he was acting out of character, telling her he loved her and giving her lots of hugs. He even seemed suspicious when she was tidying up his flat, making sure she didn’t go into the kitchen - where he was hiding the poison.
After taking his brother to McDonald’s on the night before his death he returned home to Tattersall Avenue where he had left a note in the window which said: “so sorry, dead inside, please call emergency services”. Police found him dead the next morning (February 23, 2020). They also found the controlled poison and a document on his computer titled: ‘I love you all’.
Shaun had been suffering from mental health problems and anxiety from the age of 13, and he didn't want to go out, his mum told the coroner’s court.
“He did not want to go out and wanted to stay in his bedroom,” Dr Raj Dangi, consultant psychiatrist, said giving evidence at the inquest. “He seemed to have been exhibiting anxiety as well as a few depressive symptoms.
“However, he had no history of self harm or suicidal ideation. His risks were managed well.”
Shaun’s family were concerned over the care he received from the community mental health team under Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, Bolton Coroner’s Court was told. His mum Donna said she had sent the out of hours team an email concerned for Shaun’s wellbeing the day before he died which was only processed at noon the next day.
Joanne Murphy, team manager at GMMHT, explained that one of the reasons Shaun’s was not escalated further was due to the strong protective factor his mum provided. This meant he was not given a mental health assessment sooner.
“That should have been escalated sooner,” Ms Murphy said, reacting to the news that Ms Hasan told a mental health worker her son was looking for ways to end his life. “But I don’t think he contacted Donna to say he was arranging an appointment to see Shaun.
“I think there was a heavy reliance on Donna because of the level of her support.”
The ‘suboptimal care’ provided by the community team was described by senior coroner Timothy Brennand as “a calamitous collection of human errors”. He recorded a conclusion of suicide.
Gill Green, Chief Nurse at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “On behalf of GMMH, we express our deepest sympathies to Shaun’s family and all who cared for him. Though the coroner found that we could not have prevented what happened, there are always things to be learned from tragic incidents such as these.
“Following the incident, GMMH conducted a thorough internal review, which led to an action plan focusing on improving risk management through training and education of staff and the introduction of a digital risk management tool (MAST) as part of a Trust-wide roll out. All actions have now been completed. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Mr Brennand commended Donna Hasan for her vigilance in alerting the police to the chemical her son used to take his life. This has saved the lives of a minimum of 60 people already, he said.
“There are a number of troubled individuals that sourced this chemical,” Mr Brennand told Donna. “They are alive today because of what you did.”
Concern over chemicals bought online, inquest hears
This coronal investigation was put on hold after Mr Brennand requested an investigation into the chemical used in Shaun’s death and a number of other cases. The two-year long investigation from Greater Manchester Police has uncovered how this particular chemical, which the Manchester Evening News is not naming, had been purchased online by Shaun and dozens of others across the UK and internationally.
The packs were being bought from chemical companies - who have not been charged with criminal behaviour - on the advice of online forums. Expert toxicologist Dr Julie Evans, giving evidence at the inquest, explained that this chemical has been a ‘phenomenal’ problem globally since the Covid pandemic emerged back in 2020.
Detective inspector Andrew Wright told the court of how 45 confirmed deaths in the UK and Europe out of just over 200 people who bought the ‘suicide kit’ have come from just one chemical company. There is a ‘potential’ that this number could be 60.
As few as eight to nine per cent of the 200 buyers were using the chemical for ‘innocent reasons’. The majority, like Shaun, were buying the kit in a bid to end their lives.
DI Wright also explained that 53 lives, those who had bought the pack but not used it yet, have been saved because of this investigation.
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