A dad-of-two was killed by a train after breaking out of his hospital bedroom.
Ricky Cairns died after being struck by a Merseyrail train near to RAF Woodvale between Formby Station and Freshfield Station on March 28 2019. The 31-year-old was a patient at Clockview Hospital in Walton, where he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in January 2019.
An inquest into his death was held this week on Monday, May 9, at Bootle Town Hall. The inquest heard Mr Cairns had managed to escape from the hospital after causing damage his bedroom window on March 25 2019. Coroner Mr Graham Jackson said Mr Cairns visited his mother that day and his aunt two days later, and his death was sadly reported to the hospital on March 29.
READ MORE: Ava White's family sob as footage of her being stabbed to death is played in court
The court heard evidence given by Mr Paul Cowell, a train driver for Merseyrail, who was driving the train on the Southport to Hunts Cross line at the time it struck Mr Cairns. Mr Cowell said the train was in "excellent running order" on March 28 and he had departed on his last journey of the day from Southport.
Summarising his statement, Mr Jackson said: "The head lights on the train picked up the shape of a person, and that person was described as crouching in a frog like position to the near side of the line about six feet from the left hand rail.
“The driver, Mr Cowell, said that the person was facing line and he saw the person leap.”
Mr Cowell said he didn't have time to sound the horn of the train but applied his emergency brakes. He said in a statement "I have no hesitation in saying this was an intentional act.”
Following the results of a post mortem, the medical cause of death was recorded as a head injury that was due to a collision with the train and Mr Jackson said “underlying all of that was multiple other injuries.” The results of a toxicology report found Mr Cairns had cannabis in his blood, two types of prescribed medication which were consistent with therapeutic use and a small amount of alcohol.
Mr Cairns was first admitted to the Alt Ward at Clockview Hospital on a voluntary basis after he attended A&E on January 5, 2019. At that time he had expressed concerns about his mental health and said he was experiencing suicidal thoughts, the inquest heard.
He was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act on January 7, after showing signs of psychosis. During his time in hospital, Dr Declan Highland, Consultant in General Psychiatry at Clockview Hospital, said Mr Cairns was given escorted leave with a member of hospital staff under Section 17 of the Mental Health Act.
On February 5, during an escorted trip to Sainsbury's Mr Cairns ran away from a staff member and was found by police the following day and brought back to hospital. Shortly afterwards, the court heard Mr Cairns attempted to take his own life on the hospital ward and staff were so concerned about his welfare that he was put on one to one observations.
Dr Highland said this meant a member of staff would be with him at all times or Mr Cairns would always be in their eyesight. But when his condition later settled on March 11, he was moved onto hourly observations.
The court heard Mr Cairns had absconded from hospital on several other occasions including during another escorted trip to Sainsbury's on March 13 and wasn't returned to the hospital until the early hours of March 17 by police. Dr Highland said "when Mr Cairns returned to the ward he informed nursing staff that he hated being at Clockview Hospital and had spent the last couple of nights sleeping in an abandoned cabin in Southport and spent the day walking around Southport until he went to his mother's house."
The inquest heard Mr Cairns said he felt isolated at Clockview Hospital and wanted to be moved to Southport Hospital to be closer to his family. Dr Highland said himself and other staff members agreed it was in Mr Cairns' best interests to be transferred to Southport Hospital but no beds were available on the Park Unit.
Mr Andrew Williams, Deputy Chief Operations Manager at Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, said there was a "national challenge around bed availability" on psychiatric units and Mr Cairns wasn't given priority as he already had a bed on an inpatient unit.
Summarising the evidence given by Mr Williams, the coroner said an independent investigation was carried out at Clockview Hospital following Mr Cairns' death, which came to the conclusion that such an escape was not predictable or preventable as it had not happened before at the hospital and it was their first experience of this.
The inquest heard the window frames on the ward underwent an external examination following Mr Cairns' death and found there was no structural damage to the windows and they were intact. However, steel frames were later fitted to the windows after another patient absconded from the ward 20 months later.
Dr Highland said he was satisfied with the level of care and treatment between Mr Cairns being admitted to hospital in January to March 25 when he absconded. Based on the evidence heard during the inquest the jury concluded the cause of Mr Cairns death as suicide.
In a series of tributes shared on social media at the time, friends described Mr Cairns as a "genuine and funny lad".
Liam Stirzaker said: "He was an amazing man and such an role model. Growing up around High Park we didn't have many around the area - he kept a lot of us out of trouble. Always had wise words. Such a loss.
Posting on social media at the time, Dean Neblett said: "Thank you for being in my life Ricky Cairns - you were my best friend. I'll never forget you.
"You always supported me and valued my opinion, we had some tough obstacles as kids, having to hide our friendship - but we made it work. Thank you for everything my friend - love you always bro, rest in peace."
Helplines and support groups
The following are helplines and support networks for people to talk to, mostly listed on the NHS Choices website
- Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
- CALM Campaign Against Living Miserably (0800 58 58 58) is a leading movement against suicide. It runs a UK helpline and webchat from 5pm to midnight 365 days a year for anyone who has hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.
- PANDAS (0808 1961 776) runs a free helpline and offers a support service for people who may be suffering with perinatal mental illness, including prenatal (antenatal) and postnatal depression plus support for their family or network.
- Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.
- PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
- Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
- Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
- Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.
Amparo provides emotional and practical support for anyone who has been affected by a suicide. This includes dealing with police and coroners; helping with media enquiries; preparing for and attending an inquest and helping to access other, appropriate, local support services. Call 0330 088 9255 or visit www.amparo.org.uk for more details.
- Hub of Hope is the UK’s most comprehensive national mental health support database. Download the free app, visit hubofhope.co.uk or text HOPE to 85258 to find relevant services near you.
- Young Persons Advisory Service – Providing mental health and emotional wellbeing services for Liverpool’s children, young people and families. tel: 0151 707 1025 email: support@ypas.org.uk
- Paul's Place - providing free counselling and group sessions to anyone living in Merseyside who has lost a family member or friend to suicide. Tel: 0151 226 0696 or email: paulsplace@beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk
The Martin Gallier Project - offering face to face support for individuals considering suicide and their families. Opening hours 9.30-16.30, 7 days a week. Tel: 0151 644 0294 email: triage@gallierhouse.co.uk
James' Place - supports men over 18 who are experiencing a suicidal crisis by providing quick access to therapy and support. Call 0151 303 5757 from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 5.30pm or visit https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/
