Youngest son of Fred and Rose West ‘died from overdose of painkillers’
THE son of serial killers Fred and Rose West died of an overdose of painkillers after telling a doctor his life was “not worth living”, an inquest heard.
Barry West said he felt he had been “abandoned” by health services before he died from complications after taking medication to relieve his “extreme” chronic pain, the hearing was told.
When aged just seven, he saw his elder sister Heather beaten to death by Fred and Rose and he was taken into care five years after his sister’s death, along with his siblings.
He was the youngest son of the Wests, who abducted, raped and murdered young women before burying them at their Gloucester home, over 20 years.
The 40-year-old was found slumped over a table by his support worker at supported living accommodation in Maidstone on the morning of August 28. His death sparked internal investigations at
Kent County Council (KCC) and an NHS trust.
An inquest held in Maidstone this week heard Mr West had a “a complex medical and mental health history”, including an opioid addiction and a history of heroin misuse dating back 19 years.
He had also tried to take his own life in 2015 and medical records showed “many overdoses” but did not make clear whether they were suicide attempts.
It emerged that he was also suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and chronic pain in his shoulder and his back.
Giving evidence, Nicholas Esson, KCC services manager at the Canterbury Mental Health Team, said Mr West was having difficulty coping with his pain and also with his medication.
As a result, he felt he had no quality of life.
Mr Esson added they could have engaged with Mr West more significantly than by telephone, the hearing was told.