Coroner: 'Totally unacceptable that bridge suicide man Kieran Hurst was discharged from mental health unit and sent home'

A coroner has said it was "totally unacceptable" a young man who died after jumping off a bridge on to a dual carriageway after a row with his father was forced to live at home when he was discharged from a mental health unit.

Coroner Lydia Brown spoke out yesterday during the inquest into the death of 24-year-old Kieran Hurst, who died after falling on to Braunstone Way, Braunstone Town, a few days after being discharged from the Bradgate Unit at Glenfield Hospital.

Social worker Caroline Gregory said Mr Hurst, who had been diagnosed as being bi-polar and a paranoid schizophrenic, had been evicted from his supported-living house due to his erratic, anti-social behaviour.

She told the inquest: "It was a difficult situation to manage.

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"It was not ideal he had to go back to the family home."

Coroner Lydia Brown said: "It was more than that. It was totally unacceptable."

The hearing was told Mr Hurst, of Ravenhurst Road, Braunstone Town, was discharged from the unit on September 14, 2011.

Ms Gregory, who was Mr Hurst's key worker, said he was homeless as a result of the eviction and the only other option, aside from living with his parents, was to put him an emergency hostel.

"That was not good for him because he was a vulnerable person," she said. "We knew living at home was not a long-term option because of the friction within the family home."

Mr Hurst fell to his death on the A563 11 days later, after a row with his father over him kicking a vacuum cleaner.

Ms Gregory said she had opposed the decision to discharge Mr Hurst from the unit's Beaumont ward because she had concerns about his welfare.

She had met him two days earlier and he told her he wanted to end his life.

"He said that was his clear intention," Ms Gregory told the inquest. "He had researched it, the different ways of doing it."

Consultant psychiatrist Mohammed Al-Uzri said Mr Hurst had been assessed and was declared mentally well.

He said the team at the hospital had given Mr Hurst medication and used talk therapy to try to improve his condition.

However, he said: "I am afraid the risk of suicide was always there with him."

Dr Al-Uzri said it was not ideal that there was not a better system in place to help mentally-ill patients who were homeless when discharged from hospital.

Pathologist Lawrence Brown said Mr Hurst died of a severe skull fracture.

The inquest continues today.