Man who fell from bridge onto railway may have been suffering psychotic episode, inquest hears

Paul Gareth Howells, 54, of Boscobel Drive, who suffered schizophrenia with paranoia, had received inpatient care at the specialist Redwood Centre in the town but had been discharged into the community just before Christmas 2022.

He died on February 8, 2023.

Deputy coroner for Shropshire and Telford, Mr Heath Westerman, at an inquest in Shrewsbury Coroner's Court on Tuesday recorded a narrative verdict that Mr Howell's death was due to a fall from a bridge.

It was more likely than not he was re-lapsing into a psychotic episode, the inquest heard. There was no evidence of intent to self-harm, Mr Westerman said.

He said he had no criticism of Mr Howells' care and treatment at the Redwood Centre or post-discharge.

The inquest was told that a train driver approaching the Hencote road bridge in Shrewsbury at about 3pm on February 8 saw something on the tracks and hit the emergency brakes, realising it was a body. There had been no sign of movement and in his evidence the driver said he believed the person was unconscious if not dead before the train hit him. The medical cause of death was given as 'multiple traumatic injuries'.

A statement from Mr Howells' sister, Rosemary Griffiths, said that the Hencote area had been somewhere that they had played as children.

She said Mr Howells had been an intelligent person who had found it easy to make friends, who was active and enjoyed playing football. When he left his job because his mental health deteriorated he went travelling.

The inquest heard that Mr Howells had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1999 and had spent time as an inpatient for his mental health.

When he was discharged in December of 2022 he had said he was looking forward to spending Christmas with his family.

Mr Howells would not agreed to a monthly injection of anti-psychotic medication but did agree to take oral tablets, Alison Blofield, Redwood Centre nurse consultant, told the inquest.

The family statement expressed concern about Mr Howells being discharged into the care of his 85-year-old mother and said there had been no consultation with members of his family.

There had been no sign of the anti-psychotic drug in his body in the post-mortem, his family said. They added that, as Mr Howells always refused to accept he had paranoid schizophrenia, he would not have taken the tablets upon discharge.

"If he didn't ever accept that he had paranoid schizophrenia, how could he be expected to take medication?" the family said.

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