A 25-YEAR-OLD man took his own life because of problems he was having with a gambling addiction, an inquest heard.
James Brazier, 25, died shortly after 4.35am on August 4 on the railway line at Chalkwell, having earlier lost £400 at Genting Casino in Westcliff.
However, the inquest at Chelmsford Coroners’ Court revealed failings in the care Mr Brazier received prior to his death, particularly a lack of communication between agencies engaged in looking after him.
Essex coroner Caroline Beasley Murray was critical of the Therapy for You service, run by the South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT), for failing to have an adequate action plan in place when it treated Mr Brazier and for failing to provide a plan for patient care after his death based on recommendations for improvements.
In particular, the coroner was critical that Mr Brazier had admitted to feeling “helpless and suicidal” in conversation with representatives of the service, but this had not been noted in reports.
The inquest also heard Mr Brazier experienced difficulties with substance and drug abuse.
However, following the hearing, his family, including mother Kasey Brazier, 49 and father Paul Brazier, 50, of Noak Bridge, Basildon, said he was not a frequent alcohol user, but said he used to drink when he felt depressed after losing money through gambling, especially if he had taken the money from family or friends.
Mrs Brazier said: “He certainly did not used to drink that much. He used to drink and take drugs to deal with the sense of feeling worthless. He did that to deal with his feelings.
“A gambler with a conscience is a lethal combination and that is what has killed him.”
They were particularly critical of a lack of communication between the agencies treating their son, which they believed had led to him failing to receive the necessary care.
Mrs Brazier added: “We felt that we did not receive any help to cope with his difficulties. There wasn’t a care plan in place, which was a big mistake. There was a lack of communication between agencies.”
She described her son as a very “sociable, outgoing person”, adding: “He was a very good dad. He was a nice kid who had just lost his way.”
The family praised the help and support their daughter Molly, 15, had received from Billericay school, which Mr Brazier used to attend.
The coroner recorded that Mr Brazier took his life while suffering from a diagnosed mental illness.
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