‘Amazing son’ dies at his home in Hailsham

The inquest at Eastbourne Town Hall on Thursday (July 8), heard Conor Kirby, an electrician, died at his home in Station Road on October 25, 2020.

Tanya Kirby, Mr Kirby’s mother, said, “He was loved by everyone, the most amazing son – I couldn’t have asked for better. He had a heart of gold.”

A GP report from Dr Phyllis Chan told the inquest Mr Kirby had suffered with mental health problem such as anxiety and depression for a number of years.

The inquest heard Mr Kirby ‘engaged well’ with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust services including the crisis response team, the Millwood assessment and treatment centre in Uckfield, and the Health in Mind team.

Michelle Hall, a clinical nurse specialist from the crisis response team, said, “He spoke openly and honestly. He wanted a future for himself.”

The inquest heard that at around 5pm on October 25, Talia Barrasford and Steven Tate, friends of Mr Kirby, went to check on him at his home. They found him dead upstairs and called the emergency services.

East Sussex coroner Alan Craze ruled Mr Kirby took his own life.

Since Mr Kirby’s death, there has been a serious incident report investigating the care he received.

Two issues were found, one that there was no follow up made when he failed to attend his session with Health in Mind on October 20, and the second issue was that no next of kin details were taken.

Nicola Chainey, a mental health social worker, talked through the report in the inquest and said the relevant systems had been ‘reviewed and updated’.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, the Samaritans may be able to help – the charity’s helpline number is 116 123.