A heartbroken mother who’s son died during lockdown only found out about his death three months later – on Facebook.
Troubled Kieron Smith, died on June 25 2020 at a friends house after telling them on arrival he had taken crack cocaine.
At an inquest this week it was heard friends of Smith note he arrived at the property mid afternoon and confirmed he appeared to look unwell.
The 34-year-old began having a seizure at around 5pm before falling asleep. However, a few hours later friends checked on him and noticed he wasn’t breathing.
After dialling 999 paramedics arrived promptly and performed CPR but they could not save Smith, who was pronounced dead around 9pm.
An inquest into Kieran’s death was held by coroner Peter Sigee at Bolton Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.
The court heard how Kieron had been living at Hollybank assisted living in Eccles at the time of his death.
His family say he had lived a troubled life and had served time in prison, according to Manchester Evening News.
From around the age of 13, his mother, Deborah Hamlin, said he went into a “downward spiral” after his father reconnected with him.
The court heard how his father had struggled with drug addiction.
As he grew older, Kieron struggled with mental health problems and was eventually sectioned at the Meadowbrook Mental Health Unit in Salford.
He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia from cannabinoid use and believed he was being pursued by demonic forces, the inquest heard.
Nurses said he also believed he had two hearts.
Mental health staff believed Kieron, who grew up in Withington, was regularly using drugs.
However, the court heard how Kieron denied any claims and was often “aggressive or agitated” when on the ward.
He was discharged in 2019 and offered a place with the housing association one year before his death.
Speaking at the inquest, Ms Hamlin, who had not seen her son in two years, said she didn’t find out about his passing until she read it in a Facebook post in September 2020.
During a toxicology report, pathologist Dr Justin Nkonge said Kieron’s lungs were found to be four times heavier than they should have been.
Blood tests showed there to be cocaine and heroin in his system when he died.
Kathyrn Dykes, clinical Psychologist for the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said a number of areas of expectation within the trust were not met during Kieron’s treatment.
She said this was because of the pandemic and face-to-face meetings not being possible.
Speaking at the inquest, she said: “Kieron would leave Hollybank very early in the morning and return at night, making it hard for mental health nurses to contact him.
“Notes had not been updated on the system due to workloads at the time.”
Ms Dykes said although Kieron had been placed in the “red zone”, meaning patients are in crisis, he should have been getting three visits a week.
However, there was “no evidence” he would have engaged in these visits if they had taken place due a lack of engagement with mental health services in the past.
Concluding, Coroner Peter Sigee ruled Kieron Smith died a drug related death from cocaine and heroin toxicity.
