The teenage victim, who was hanged by her mother, called 999 to express concern that she couldn’t protect herself for several months. An inquest found the girl had dialled 999.
Callie Smith, 19, was found dead on the Kirklees Trail in Bury, Greater Manchester in the early hours of June 10 2020.
An inquest into her death at Rochdale Coroner’s Court has heard she had struggled with mental health issues for many years and previously attempted a number of overdoses.
Callie Smith, 19, pictured, dialled 999 over fears ‘she couldn’t keep herself safe’ months before her death, an inquest heard
Four months before her untimely death, she called for help in an ambulance.
Ms Smith was found to have superficial scratches to her arm after arriving at A&E and was assessed by a mental health nurse.
Healthy Minds Bury was recommended and the woman was to be seen on June 22, two weeks before her death.
Ms Smith was taken to A&E and then admitted to the Irwell Unit at Fairfield Hospital after one overdose attempt in March 2019, from where she was discharged after three-and-a-half weeks.
Ms Smith said she was feeling low for several weeks after the attempted suicide, Joanne Kearsley, the senior coroner heard at the second day.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Adeola Adeola told the hearing that she was having suicidal thoughts, but she never took action on them. She also stated that she overdosed because she didn’t plan it and she just did it impulsively.
He also said the initial plan was for Ms Smith to remain in hospital for around a week or two and that arrangements were put in place to help her find accommodation ahead of being discharged as ‘going back home was not an option’.
The consultant psychiatrist said that she was largely’settled” during her stay on the unit. She was also allowed to take several leave periods.
One time, he stated that Ms Smith’s mom, Vanessa O’Neill had contacted the hospital in concern about her daughter’s drug use while she was away.
But Dr Akinola stated that there weren’t any such worries among the staff.
After drinking large amounts of alcohol, Ms Smith was ‘heavily impaired’ and returned to hospital on March 23.
Ms Smith and her mother. Ms Smith was scheduled to visit Healthy Minds in June 22. This was less than 2 weeks after her body had been found by a passerby.
Inquest found that she said to nurses, “She didn’t want to be here” and when she was asked, she replied, “Being alive.”
While in hospital, the teenage girl received a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder but Dr Akinola said she became ‘unhappy’ after learning this had also been discussed with her mother, so withdrew consent for doctors to speak to her.
When Ms O’Neill learned that her daughter would be leaving, she went to the hospital in distress.
James Staniland (a mental health nurse working on the Irwell Unit) performed an assessment on Ms Smith. Prior to her discharge, she told the inquest that Smith had revealed that she was feeling low, but she hadn’t made any plans to end the world.
He stated that he didn’t have any concerns about her, and made arrangements for an appointment within seven days.
Ms Smith was encouraged and urged to send a referral for Healthy Minds but she “failed to engage”.
Her sister was also discharged and she moved in the following day. The young girl later that day attended an A&E department at Fairfield Hospital while ‘intoxicated’ but left before being seen.
Rochdale Coroner’s Court inquest has revealed that Smith suffered with mental issues over many years.
Samantha Doherty (manager of Bury Home Treatment Team) stated that Ms Smith was scheduled for a follow up appointment four days following her discharge. She did not attend.
Callie’s consultant psychiatrist, Dr Micheal Kilka, also said that Callie saw him twice in April 2019 and June 2019, as well as Ms Smith’s first appointment.
He said: ‘She had a lot of insight and understanding into her feelings.
“She was willing to explore and go deeper into the emotions, and understand them.
Dr Kirka stated that the teenager had trouble falling asleep and was suffering from suicidal thoughts.
Ms Smith said to him that she was feeling more settled after he last saw her.
Dr Kirka stated that Ms Smith missed a December 2019 appointment and received a note from Healthy Minds announcing her discharge from the service.
She turned up at A&E two months later, fearing ‘she could not keep herself safe’.
Susan Griffiths, mental health nurse and Fairfield assessor for Ms Smith said she was jovial when speaking to the inquest.
Following her concern about obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), she had agreed to have a referral made to Healthy Minds.
Two weeks ago, she was to be present for an appointment at the clinic on June 22. This was less than two months after her body had been discovered by a passerby.
Continue the inquest.