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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Antony Thrower & Lucy Williamson

Man's touching last phone call with unsuspecting mum days before he took his own life

A “wonderful and funny” son told his mum he loved her over the phone before jumping in front of a train, an inquest was told.

Adam Long, 21, battled heavy substance abuse and mental health issues for a number of years which he was fighting with the support of his family and local services.

In October 2020 he made his way to the London Underground where he jumped in front of a train and was killed, City of London Coroners' Court heard.

In a statement read by coroner Linda Jacobs, Mum Samantha called her son a “wonderful, funny, caring person”, My London reported.

She added how the family had a meal to celebrate a birthday on September 29 when Adam was “cheerful" and gave “no indication this was the last time he would see his family”.

In a phone call to his mum the next day, Adam ended it with "Bye, love you".

The statement continued: “"There was no sense of this being last phone call.

“On the day prior to his death, I visited his flat. There was leftovers in the fridge waiting to be eaten, clothes drying on the clothes horse, indicating he intended to return.

“The issues that Adam developed were around feelings of rejection.

"In September 2020, we got him a place at a residential rehabilitation. Family and friends tried to show him it was a good thing but he decided not to go.

"Between September 5-13 he kind of disappeared, he didn't answer phone or messages. I messaged him everyday telling him I loved him unconditionally. I went to his flat to see if the lights were on to check for signs he was still alive.

"From then onwards he came back from the wilderness. He stopped taking ketamine, we spoke on phone every day without fail, he was making plans."

On the day he died Adam went Bank London Underground station where he told a Transport for London employee he was feeling down as his "family didn't speak to him".

Fearing for Adam's safety, the station manager distracted him by inviting him outside for a cigarette and informed the police.

Before the could attend Adam had walked onto the track in front of an oncoming train.

A pathologist later found traces of alcohol in his system, but drugs were not detected.

Ambulance crews found a letter on him from a therapist saying she was leaving the role.

Brian Nuth, a therapist at Talk Wandsworth, undertook an initial assessment with Adam in June 2020, after a self-referral

He told the court: "He was presenting with depression and moderate anxiety.

“Behind that he talked a lot about relationship problems being the driver for his depression. “He was concerned with intimate personal relationships, all attempts gone really badly for him.

“He said the reason why he didn't want to end his life was he still held out some hope we would find someone and form a close relationship.

“Because his issues were relationship based - I was going to put him forward for Interpersonal therapy - but we were never able to contact him again.”

The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@ samaritans .org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.

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