Inquiry hears overdose man was warned by doctors

A COWDENBEATH man who died after being found unconscious in a Fife police cell attended hospital for methadone overdoses in the days before his death.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of James Bell, 31, heard the father-of-four was warned by doctors he would be of “significant risk of harm” by discharging himself from hospital the second time he was admitted.

Mr Bell was found in Dunfermline Police Station at 7pm on Sunday June 5 2011. Medical assistance was immediately sought and he was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Mr Bell, of Dalbeath Crescent, had been taken into custody after police found him on the M90 in the early hours of June 5.

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Ian Abercrombie heard that Mr Bell had taken two methadone overdoses in consecutive evenings in the two days before June 5.

Dr Bappa Roy, who was a consultant in A&E at Queen Margaret Hospital, told the court that the first time Mr Bell attended he was not thought to be critically ill.

Asked whether on the second occasion his opinion had changed, Dr Roy said: “No, but he was at risk of becoming critically ill due to his history of attendance and the amount of naloxone (a drug overdose antidote) he had taken.”

Dr Karen Devine told the court she had referred the patient to psychiatry.

She said: “He told me the reasons he’d taken this overdose is he had lots of issues at home and wanted to die.”

Mental health nurse Janice Traill said that, when she examined him, Mr Bell stated that the overdoses were “stupid” and he had no suicidal thoughts.

The inquiry is expected to last f ive weeks at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.