Court Hears Patient Showed Distress Before Death

Testimony presented in court revealed that a hospital patient attempted self-harm using a bin liner a year prior to her death by suicide at the identical facility. Alice Figueiredo, aged 22, passed away in July 2015 while receiving treatment on the Hepworth ward of Goodmayes Hospital, a mental health institution located in Ilford, east London. A nurse who had previously overseen Ms Figueiredo’s care during an earlier stay at the unit informed the Old Bailey that Ms Figueiredo frequently demonstrated her distress through attempts to harm herself. The North East London NHS Trust, the entity operating the hospital, faces a charge of corporate manslaughter, which it disputes. Concurrently, ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence. Readers are advised that this report includes content that some individuals may find disturbing. Mental health nurse Amy Berry testified to the jury that her employment on the ward commenced in 2011. Ms Berry stated that her initial encounter with Ms Figueiredo occurred in 2013, followed by another during an admission in 2014. She described Ms Figueiredo, stating: “She was charming and endearing, but her behaviour could be challenging sometimes.” Ms Figueiredo was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and experienced episodes of severe depression. The court was presented with an entry authored by Ms Berry within the hospital’s patient observation system. This entry detailed two instances on a particular day in 2014 where Ms Figueiredo exhibited extreme distress, expressing a desire to no longer live. The record indicated that she attempted self-harm twice, utilizing a plastic bag on one of these occasions. Representing the prosecution, Karen Robinson inquired about the permissibility of plastic bags within the unit. Ms Berry informed the court that while visitors were prohibited from introducing plastic bags to the unit, plastic bin liners were present in the ward’s communal toilet during that period. Furthermore, Ms Berry stated that access to the communal toilet was restricted by a lock, requiring a patient to request staff permission for its use. Earlier in the proceedings, the court learned that Ms Figueiredo had attempted self-harm with plastic bags on 18 separate occasions between February and July 2015, during her time as a patient at the hospital. Notwithstanding these incidents, the items were not taken out of Hepworth ward. On the 7 July 2015, Ms Figueiredo gained entry to the communal toilet on the ward and employed a bin liner to commit suicide. The ongoing trial is projected to conclude after nine weeks.