The father of an 18-year-old man who committed suicide said he "can't begin to tell you what a nice lad" he was. Jack Stapleton was found dead in his bedroom in Bingham on the morning of May 25 last year.
Father Wayne, who was born and raised in The Meadows, previously described his son as 'priceless' with a 'heart of gold'. Jack had played football for Bingham Town, was a keen mixed martial arts fighter and enjoyed going to the gym.
Jack had been diagnosed with bipolar, taking time away from his beloved sports of football and mixed martial arts as a result. He had been struggling with mental health issues since 2019, said Assistant Coroner Elizabeth Didcock during an inquest into his death, but had been responding well to treatment in the weeks before his death.
His father, Wayne, also has bipolar which is treated effectively with medication, but Jack did not have contact with his mother from an early age because of her paranoid schizophrenia. Ms Didcock found that his death was not suspicious and on the balance of probabilities, while she could not be certain, Jack had committed suicide.
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During the inquest at Nottingham Council House in Old Market Square on Thursday (March 31), Wayne said: "I can't begin to tell you what a nice lad Jack was. I had no concern about him taking his own life." At one stage during his treatment, Jack had said he wanted to follow in his grandfather's footsteps of becoming a public service worker, and that his younger brother, father and dog were motivating factors.
Jack first presented to Bingham Medical Centre in November 2019, reporting that he was feeling down over previous months, but did not know why because he had a girlfriend, was into mixed martial arts (MMA) and had a supportive father. In December 2019, Jack had said his girlfriend cheated on him, he'd stopped MMA training and that he wanted medication to help with his mood.
Jack had regular reviews with CAHMS, Child Mental Health Services, and the Rushcliffe Mental Health team, part of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. On July 14 2020, Jack was admitted to Hopewood psychiatric hospital following hallucinations, hearing voices and psychotic episodes, and was transferred to Priory Hospital in Arnold, a mental health hospital, on September 3 2020, the day he turned 18.
Jack was discharged from there on September 17 2020, with Wayne concerned he was discharged too early and Ms Didcock later referencing Priory Hospital's latest CQC report which rated services there 'inadequate', although further details were not discussed, other than a serious incident investigation had taken place. Wayne said the hospital "have some questions to be answered", and Ms Didcock added the hospital "is in significant difficulty with the CQC, there are lots of issues there".
Jack then received care from the Rushcliffe Mental Health team and it was found he had deteriorated following his discharge. But following regular face-to-face visits, which started from October 2020 through to his death, Jack was said to be showing signs of improvement, taking interests in MMA and going to the gym again. Wayne had also messaged the people who were looking after him, thanking them for the work they had done, and that he felt his "son was getting back to his old self".
Just a couple of weeks or so before his death, Jack had submitted a PIP (Personal Independence Payments) application form to start to get some money, but this application was found to be rejected during the healthcare team's last visit on May 18 2021. Jack had planned to appeal.
Ms Didcock said the care Jack received aside from his time at Priory Hospital was "very good", adding: "Both Jack and Wayne received a lot of support, and I'm pleased they were good and helpful to both of you."
Detective Sergeant Charlotte Henson gave evidence during the inquest, as she attended the scene just after 7am after Wayne had called for an ambulance at 6.36am on the morning of May 25 2021. Jack and Wayne were living together in Bingham.
DS Henson said: "There was no indication he was feeling particularly unwell, and there was nothing to suggest anything was done intentionally. We were unsure at first what had happened.
"James and Wayne had spent the evening together as normal, before going to bed. They let their dog out at 1am in the morning, told each other they loved them and went to bed.
"Wayne then woke up to find Jack was unresponsive and phoned the ambulance. There was Jack's mobile phone in the room, but we have not been able to unlock it as of yet, despite being given several different pin codes."
After DS Henson finished giving evidence, Ms Didcock said: "We may never know what exactly was on Jack's mind." Wayne said: "Hopefully we can get the phone sorted and try different numbers to find some sort of answer."
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