‘Theo was denied a fighting chance to live’ says mum

21-year-old took his own life

THE mother of a student who took his own life says he was ‘denied a fighting chance to live.’

Theo Brennan-hulme, from North Staffordshire, right, was found dead in his campus room at the University East Anglia in Norwich.

An inquest into the 21-yearold’s death heard the mental health care offered to him was ‘inadequate.’

His grieving parents Esther Brennan and Andrew Hulme believe former Painsley Catholic College student Theo was let down.

In a statement, they said: “The University of East Anglia and the psychiatric emergency service denied our dear son Theo a fighting chance to live. Between them the university and psychiatric emergency service rejected Theo’s known high risk state and only enabled further isolation and hopelessness with no further signpost for care; a most desperate place for him to be.”

The English Literature and Creative Writing student was found dead on March 12, 2019 after cleaners had been unable to gain access the day before.

Senior coroner for Norfolk, Jacqueline Lake, gave a conclusion of suicide stating Theo had intended to die “on the balance of probability”.

She added a short narrative that a mental health assessment carried out on February 28, 2019 was inadequate and that there was a breach of systemic duty by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS

Foundation Trust. Ms Lake said: “I am surprised the trust was still seeking to place responsibility for what happened on staff incompetence instead of the systems in place.”

The inquest heard Theo had referred himself to the UEA’S wellbeing service due to depression in September 2018.

He had previously been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, as well as anxiety attacks.

Ms Lake told the court Theo had been struggling with life at university due to academic stresses and a breakdown in relations with his housemates.

The university has said it signposts vulnerable students to NHS provision and is working to identify improvements to the effectiveness of their support.

The trust has acknowledged Theo should have been accepted for treatment instead of being sent back to university alone.