By Tragedy as young man takes his life on the Humber Bridge
Tragedy after the “life and soul of the party” took his life on the Humber Bridge.
Phillip Sephton, 23, from Barton-upon-Humber, sadly passed away in February 22, 2021, after a tough battle with mental health, self-harm and substance abuse.
Phillip had left Mulberry House (Great Oaks Mental Health Hospital), a mental health unit in Scunthorpe, just hours after he took his own life.
The 23-year-old was due to be discharged from the hospital after staying as an informal patient but did not have access to accommodation following his exit, an inquest heard.
Yesterday (12 July) Phillip’s mother, Linda Peeps, spoke at the inquest and told the coroner’s court that her son was the “life and soul of the party” who sadly mixed with the wrong crowd during his secondary school journey.
She told how Phillip had suffered with substance abuse, self-harm and poor mental health over the years in an emotional written statement.
Phillip, who had been involved with mental health services since 2011, was hospitalised for the first time when he was just 13 years old. He eventually received diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder and paranoid schizophrenia.
The emotional statement issued by Phillip’s mother added:
“He will be missed by us all… We have built him a memory garden so we can go and talk to him.”
In a separate heart-breaking statement read by Phillip’s stepmother, Karen Davison, the court heard how the young man travelled back to his hometown to visit her, carrying just a suitcase and two black bin bags containing his possessions on the day he died.
“I had seen Phil at the bottom of the road with his suitcase and two black bin bags,” the statement added.
“He said he was going to jump off the Humber Bridge and I told him not to talk like that.
“He dropped his bags off at my house and I invited him to join me to walk the dog and he said, ‘No, I’m just going to get off’.”
Karen added: “As I walked along I started thinking, ‘Would he do it?’ so I went home and rang his mum, Linda, and while I was on the phone I heard a helicopter above. We both decided to go to the Humber Bridge and look in both directions.”
Upon arrival, the pair were greeted by a large police presence before an officer told them to return home and wait for an official statement.
Sadly, an officer attended the family home and confirmed Phillip had tragically died.
The court heard how the 23-year-old was escorted by police to the Mulberry House two weeks before his tragic death. Following a short stay at The Cocked Hat Hotel in Scunthorpe, he then agreed to stay at the hospital as an informal patient, coming and going as he pleased.
Hours before his death, Phillip was told he would be discharged after from Mulberry House on February 24, two days before he took his life, after breaching the facility’s zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol.
Following the devasting news, Phillip told staff that he would leave the facility and travel back to his hometown to stay with a friend.
Phillip’s mother argued the “care system has let Phillip down” adding that the family were “never invited to meetings.”
Marianne Johnson, Assistant Coroner for North East Lincolnshire said:
“I hope the steps to improvement continue to be taken. I hope we’re not sat here in six to 12 months’ time having the same discussion.”
Speaking to Mrs Peeps, she added:
“I know it’s not going to change anything for you today but I have a duty to make sure it changes things for someone else. Of more concern was the lack of interaction between the service and the family. Your views should have been sought and documented and this was missed by the Trust.
“Whether this would have made any difference to the outcome, we don’t know. What we do know is that Phil had a turbulent life. For whatever reason he made the decision to take himself to the Humber Bridge, climb over the railings and take his own life.
“You could have done no more. Credit to you for being so involved and taking an interest in Phillip’s care. All credit to you and the rest of the family.”
(Image: Facebook)
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