Police ‘needed to do better‘ after man hanged himself

cheer him up.’ But the next day his friend found he was still in a depressed state of mind and after breaking into his house found him slumped on the floor.

An ambulance crew attended and he was pronounced dead at 12.27pm.

After hearing evidence over three days the jury returned an open conclusion. Their conclusion said he ‘was found hanging at his home on January 26, 2015, and pronounced dead at the scene.’

Moreover, they found that ‘there was an opportunity for mental health services to be involved if information had been passed on.’

Mr Longstaff said he thought the police needed to do better he and would be writing to West Yorkshire Police to that effect. He said that the evidence revealed that there was a risk of further deaths unless West Yorkshire Police changed their procedures. Afterwards, Nathan’s mother, 44-year-old Angela Cooke who had flown in from Toronto for the hearing, said: “A 23-year-old man who idolised his three-year-old daughter has lost his life. He was a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky guy who was often the life and soul of the party.

“I just think that at the end of the day the police and system as a whole in 2015 needed to do a lot better.

“What I would have liked to have seen is that they gave the doctor the right information. He had psychosis and needed to get a mental health assessment.

“Instead they released him on a Sunday evening without any care or help.”

Counsel for West Yorkshire Police, Ian Mullarkey, said: “There is no evidence before the jury that the actions of West Yorkshire Police possibly or probably caused or contributed to the tragic death of Mr Cooke.”

What I would have liked to have seen is the doctor given the right information