Singer, 24, was found hanged in hospital

A TALENTED singer was found dead in hospital after she had a serious mental health episode on a train following a gig with her band, an inquest heard.

Mina Topley-Bird, the 24-yearold daughter of Bristol trip hop pioneer Tricky and singer

Martina Topley-Bird, was found hanged at West Park Hospital, Darlington, in May 2019, having performed with her band in Newcastle, days before.

An inquest in Durham was told she thought the gig with her band 404 had gone badly and believed people had laughed.

Ms Topley-Bird was travelling back to her home in London when she had a psychotic episode and she got off the train at Darlington.

Friend and bandmate Brendan Murphy got off with her and tried to help, managing to get her to hospital after she tried to walk in front of fast-moving cars, the inquest heard.

He got her in a taxi and took her to the accident and emergency unit of Darlington Memorial Hospital where she grabbed a pen and tried to stab herself in the neck.

After she was assessed she was transferred to a secure ward at West Park Hospital in the town where she received treatment voluntarily, and was not detained under the Mental Health Act, jurors were told.

Ms Topley-Bird had received treatment in the South West of England and London before she was under the care of medics in Darlington in the last days of her life.

She believed the gig in Newcastle had gone badly and people had laughed, Detective Sergeant John Tyers said in a statement.

Staff members found her hanged in her room around 4pm on May 8 2019, the officer said.

Mr Murphy said she had not been drinking or taking drugs and was proud to have been clear of them for at least a year, as she was aware of their effect on her mental health.

Jurors heard from clinical psychologist Dr Sonia Burrows, who helped Ms Topley-Bird deal with psychosis.

She said when Ms Topley-Bird was delusional she believed she deserved to die for the bad things she had done.

Coroner James Thompson said the main topics of the inquest would be how Ms Topley-Bird came to be assessed at Darlington Memorial Hospital and her admission to West Park Hospital – run by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Mental Health Trust – as well as how information was shared with the South London and Maudlsey NHS Trust.

The inquest continues and is expected to last four days.