AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me. Edited to remove the word "suffered". The following is a sensitive article, so reader discretion is advised)
Autistic woman, 20, killed herself after evil neighbours beat her with dog lead and poured vinegar in her wounds
A VULNERABLE young woman killed herself after she was beaten up and tortured during a horror attack in her own home, an inquest heard.
Tragic Leah Ratheram was found hanged in woodlands after her twisted neighbours Lucy Regan and her boyfriend Omaij Christie battered her with a metal dog lead and poured vinegar in her wounds.
Leah Ratheram hanged herself after she was savagely beaten by her evil neighbours
The monsters had forced their way into the 20-year-old’s flat in Kings Heath on February 2 last year and savagely beat her after she taunted them.
They also made her pal Paul James-Lyons, 24, fall from the third floor balcony of her flat as he tried to escape leaving him with a permanent disability.
Both were caged for 13-and-a-half years in January after admitting wounding.
Omaij Christie launched a brutal dog lead attack after barging into Leah’s home. Sadistic Lucy Regan was given two and a half years for her role in the cruel attack
Leah, who had a number of health concerns including autism and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, took her own life last October, an inquest was told.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Senior Coroner Louise Hunt raised “grave concerns” about her mental health care.
Birmingham Coroners’ Court was told that Leah experienced extreme mood swings, had a history of self harming and had also been a victim of domestic violence.
She was under the care of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, and then Forward Thinking Birmingham, and was living at Manningford Care Home in Druids Heath, at the time she died.
Her devastated foster parents Marilyn and Steven Ratheram described her as someone with a “great sense of humour.
They added: “She loved everyone in her own way and she was a great artist.
“But she struggled with accepting her problems. One minute she was happy, the next she was very sad.”
They explained that Leah had become involved with a violent older man, but shortly before her death had found a new boyfriend who “made her very happy”.
But the couple had struggled to get their daughter the appropriate care for her mental health needs, the court was told.
Debbie Moore, manager of Manningford Care Home, said they had become increasingly concerned for Leah after she developed new ways of harming herself.
Leah was moved to Forward Thinking Birmingham, where staff assessed her after she attempted to hang herself, the inquest heard.
Coroner Ms Hunt said she didn’t believe anything different could have been done to prevent Leah’s death, but added she had “concerns” about the lack of continuity in her care.
She called for a review of the way patients are assessed when they are being considered for sectioning under the Mental Health Act.
The coroner said: “It seems to me that Leah has fallen between two stools here. There has been a change over in care, during a time where Leah was being assessed.
“There was an opportunity for Leah to be re-assessed and this did not happen. We cannot then know what would have been the outcome of this for Leah, had this taken place.
“Leah had very complex needs and she had a very difficult life. She could not cope and she decided to take her own life.
“But I do have concerns that there seemed confusion as to who was actually providing the care for Leah, at a time she needed it most.
“In my view, there was critical information about Leah that other staff were not aware of.
“There did seem to be a lack of continuity in her care and I think these concerns need to be raised.”
Cruel Regan and Christie had barged into Leah’s flat when a pizza delivery man called at the door before unleashing their depraved assault.
Leah had left a note before she died saying the brutal attack was one of the “bad things” causing her suicide.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans on (free) 116123 or 020 7734 2800.
Source: Woman killed herself after she was beaten with dog lead and vinegar was poured in wounds
Autistic woman, 20, killed herself after evil neighbours beat her with dog lead and poured vinegar in her wounds
A VULNERABLE young woman killed herself after she was beaten up and tortured during a horror attack in her own home, an inquest heard.
Tragic Leah Ratheram was found hanged in woodlands after her twisted neighbours Lucy Regan and her boyfriend Omaij Christie battered her with a metal dog lead and poured vinegar in her wounds.
Leah Ratheram hanged herself after she was savagely beaten by her evil neighbours
The monsters had forced their way into the 20-year-old’s flat in Kings Heath on February 2 last year and savagely beat her after she taunted them.
They also made her pal Paul James-Lyons, 24, fall from the third floor balcony of her flat as he tried to escape leaving him with a permanent disability.
Both were caged for 13-and-a-half years in January after admitting wounding.
Omaij Christie launched a brutal dog lead attack after barging into Leah’s home. Sadistic Lucy Regan was given two and a half years for her role in the cruel attack
Leah, who had a number of health concerns including autism and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, took her own life last October, an inquest was told.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Senior Coroner Louise Hunt raised “grave concerns” about her mental health care.
Birmingham Coroners’ Court was told that Leah experienced extreme mood swings, had a history of self harming and had also been a victim of domestic violence.
She was under the care of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, and then Forward Thinking Birmingham, and was living at Manningford Care Home in Druids Heath, at the time she died.
Her devastated foster parents Marilyn and Steven Ratheram described her as someone with a “great sense of humour.
They added: “She loved everyone in her own way and she was a great artist.
“But she struggled with accepting her problems. One minute she was happy, the next she was very sad.”
They explained that Leah had become involved with a violent older man, but shortly before her death had found a new boyfriend who “made her very happy”.
But the couple had struggled to get their daughter the appropriate care for her mental health needs, the court was told.
Debbie Moore, manager of Manningford Care Home, said they had become increasingly concerned for Leah after she developed new ways of harming herself.
Leah was moved to Forward Thinking Birmingham, where staff assessed her after she attempted to hang herself, the inquest heard.
Coroner Ms Hunt said she didn’t believe anything different could have been done to prevent Leah’s death, but added she had “concerns” about the lack of continuity in her care.
She called for a review of the way patients are assessed when they are being considered for sectioning under the Mental Health Act.
The coroner said: “It seems to me that Leah has fallen between two stools here. There has been a change over in care, during a time where Leah was being assessed.
“There was an opportunity for Leah to be re-assessed and this did not happen. We cannot then know what would have been the outcome of this for Leah, had this taken place.
“Leah had very complex needs and she had a very difficult life. She could not cope and she decided to take her own life.
“But I do have concerns that there seemed confusion as to who was actually providing the care for Leah, at a time she needed it most.
“In my view, there was critical information about Leah that other staff were not aware of.
“There did seem to be a lack of continuity in her care and I think these concerns need to be raised.”
Cruel Regan and Christie had barged into Leah’s flat when a pizza delivery man called at the door before unleashing their depraved assault.
Leah had left a note before she died saying the brutal attack was one of the “bad things” causing her suicide.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans on (free) 116123 or 020 7734 2800.
Source: Woman killed herself after she was beaten with dog lead and vinegar was poured in wounds
