A young man struggling with his mental health following the death of his father seven years ago was reportedly sent away by a hospital days before he was found dead.
Liam King, 33, had struggled on and off since his father's death but he was suffering a bad phase in April and his pal Lisa took him to Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Wales following serious concerns for his welfare. However, he was released after just two hours, and six days later, on May 3, he found him dead.
Lisa says she was extremely concerned for his wellbeing after police had been called out five times to look for him in the weeks before he was taken to hospital, reports Wales Online.
Lisa said: "When I got home and had a message to say he was on his way home I thought I could not believe this. When I left I said to them: 'Either you keep him in or he kills himself'."
On the day he was found dead, Liam had not turned up for his work as a window cleaner and his boss phoned Lisa to ask if she had heard from him.
She raced around to his house and after peering through the door she seen her son's body.
Lisa explained how in the days beforehand. Liam had started to talk more positively and had been out the night before playing pool.
She said: "I honestly think if they had kept him in [hospital] that night he would still be here."
Now Lisa is talking about the events leading up to his Liam's death, with permission from his family, in the hope that they can prevent it from happening to anyone else and to try and trigger an investigation into the care that he received at the hospital.
Liam's mother, Suzanne Samuel, described how his father death seven years ago led to his mental health declining.
She said: "He has not been right since his dad died. His dad had a brain aneurysm on the way to work. He was on life-support and we had to turn him off. But we had no support after that. He was not right after that.
"I would tell him he needed to see the doctor and try counselling. He said: 'I don't want to take tablets.' He thought there was nothing there to help him."
Suzanne says she was worried but relieved after being told that Liam had been taken to the crisis team at the hospital.
However, the following day when he was home she spoke to him he said that staff at the hospital had told him he "can't cope with his emotions" and advised that he go on antidepressants but she doesn't know if he was even prescribed anything.
She added: "How can they assess someone in an hour or two when that someone doesn't want to talk about it?"
Suzanne explained that previously when Liam had attempted to take his own life he had always told someone what he was planning but on the occasion he died he hadn't tell anyone.
"He had left bowls of food around the house for his dog. He had taken off his pool presentation top and folded it and put it away," sh.e said.
Suzanne has been told that police found notes at his home but at this point she doesn't know what they said.
Suzanne added: "I spoke to him on Tuesday night and he sounded quite happy. He said he had his pool presentation and he had been looking forward to that. He said he had to go because someone was ringing him and I said to him: 'You sound happy tonight' and he said: 'I am, love you.'
"He was such a lovely boy. So sensitive and quiet – he only said something if there was something to say. He was just lovely. I have three children – my eldest son used to say: 'He’s your golden child.' He was always Mammy’s boy. On my birthday he would come from work – he always had a bunch of flowers for me. ‘Happy birthday Mam, love you’. That is the last thing he said to me was 'love you'.
"He lived for his pool and his job – he loved his job. [His nieces and nephews] loved him – they called him uncle Lum. When he was in school he did this drawing of a wizard. The children had to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up and he drew a wizard. We used to tease him: 'When are you going to be a wizard Liam?' He was hell of a boy. It is tragic for every family it happens to because they turn people away."
Suzanne explained how a few years ago one of Liam's friends also took their own life.
Liam was devastated as he had no idea his friend was also suffering.
Suzanne said: "I can understand [the NHS] have not got the resources – they don't have enough money. They haven't got the staff, I understand that, but there should be more there for those people. You can't turn people away for them to then kill themselves. I do realise it is not their fault but there should be more."
A funeral for Liam was held on Friday, May 26, and he was buried alongside his father.
He was buried in his denim jacket of which Lisa used to tell him jokingly: "We'll bury you in that denim jacket."
A fundraiser has since been set up to help support the family with the funeral costs and donations can be made here.
Lisa says Liam used to have a pool table in his living room which they are hoping to donate to Paddy's in Tonypandy where a memorial plaque will be placed in his honour.
A spokesman for Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB said: “As appropriate, and to ensure we understand the facts of this case, the health board has begun a review into the care that was provided to Liam. Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time.”
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