A man who broke both his legs on a slide after drunkenly breaking into a waterpark later took his own life. An inquest heard Barry Douglas killed himself - in part due to fears he could be permanently crippled as a result of the accident.
The 44-year-old was found dead at his home in Aldershot in Hampshire on February 17. One of his friends contacted staff at the supported housing where he lived after not seeing him around.
A post-mortem examination found his medical cause of death was hanging. A toxicology report analysing his blood samples found he had alcohol 4.3 times the drink drive limit in his system when he died.
Six months earlier, Mr Douglas and a friend Claire Vickers broke into Aldershot Lido in the middle of the night following a day of drinking. Mr Douglas had also taken cocaine.
The pair went down a waterslide and crashed into a barrier at the bottom with Mr Douglas breaking both legs. Wheelchair-bound during his recovery, he was no longer able to continue his job as a forklift driver and was forced to move into supported housing.
He suffered low mood, the inquest heard, and was prescribed antidepressants. He faced financial worries due to relying on disability benefits and concerns that he could be left crippled.
In a statement, Mr Douglas’ mother Ruth said: “The accident didn’t help his frame of mind but he didn’t say he was depressed to me. He complained about cold in his flat, so I asked him to come home to Scotland, but being independent he refused.
“He was worried about money, going from a full-time wage to benefits was a big drop. He was desperate to get back to work but he was told it could take two years to be fit again, and there was a concern that he could be left crippled.”
Mr Douglas was dependent on alcohol, sometimes drinking 500ml to 1 litre of vodka per day, the inquest heard. An occasional user of heroin and cocaine, he was engaging with a substance abuse support service called Inclusion in the months before his death.
He shared with Inclusion that he was reducing his alcohol intake and was also attending peer support sessions. He was due to attend a session on February 15, two days before his death, but he did not show up.
Giving evidence at the inquest, Clare Hatherley, harm reduction coordinator at Inclusion Hampshire, said: “After the accident in 2021 he referred himself to us. I feel there were some gaps in our practice which may not have directly contributed to Barry’s death, but there were processes in place that weren’t followed, unfortunately.
“I feel with the complexity of his issues he should have been triaged to a different pathway, and due to his opiate use he should have been offered all detox options.” Ms Hatherley explained Inclusion’s procedures had been updated and the staff member and team involved with supporting Mr Douglas have been given additional training.
Coroner Christopher Wilkinson said: “My conclusion is not only did Mr Douglas undertake the effort to take his life, he had the intent to do so even under the influence of alcohol. Therefore on the balance of probabilities I reach a conclusion of suicide. Mr Douglas took his own life impulsively while under the influence of alcohol.”
