Abigail Louise SMITH · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 21 February 2022 , an investigation was commenced into the death of Abigail Louise SMITH, AGE 26 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 24 October 2025 . The conclusion of the inquest was 1(a) Depression of the Neck by Ligature

Suicide: there were a number of failures that contributed to Abbi’s death:
1. A failure by all clinical professionals and care for, treat and communicate with Abbi as a neurodivergent person with Autism that exacerbated Abbi’s presentation and risk of self-harm and suicide. There was no staff training for Autism.
2. There was a complete absence and understanding of Care and Treatment Reviews for those responsible for caring for Abbi and whilst non-statutory , Abbi was entitled to these as an Autistic person who also had learning difficulties and would have assisted to get the right professionals together to look to avoid hospital admission.
3. Abbi’s suffered an obvious and predicted deterioration in her mental health when she was not compliant with her Clozapine medication and the failure to follow-up on the community psychiatrist’s directions in October 2021 caused her to deteriorate further with no assessment of her capacity that had been advised. Abbi’s short-term prescription of diazepam was continued without a required medical review and failed to comply with NICE Guidelines. Abbi was prescribed a treatment medication regime that had been unsuccessful in the past and had not mitigated her ligaturing to attempt to end her life whilst she was detained.
4. Although Abbi had some dialogue about the future on 15 February, she informed the community mental health team that she did not want to go on anymore, had lived her life, could not give any assurances for her safety and was declining help. Advice from the Home Treatment Team was not sought and the community team wanted to step up care, but this had not been put in place and was not the process for a crisis.
5. There was a gross failure to provide and procure basic medical attention for Abigail when she was discharged from detention under the Mental Health Act on 14 February 2022 with no plan to mitigate the real and immediate risk Abbi posed to herself with threats, plans and actions to end her life. Abbi had anti-ligature bedding, and her room stripped of her possessions, and this remained in place prior to her discharge. There were no up-to-date care plans and risk assessments in place for Abbi to manage this risk or for when she was discharged to the community on 14 February 2022 to mitigate this known significant risk. Abbi had tied multiple tight ligatures during her 11-day admission and had her usual clothing removed on 4 February due to her risks, the precise date her clothing was returned was not recorded. On 9 February 2022 community mental health staff required 3 conditions to be met before they would support Abbi’s discharge, none of which were met on 14 February 2022. This discharge was not safe. The care co-ordinator informed the treating team and responsible clinician that she wanted to attend the ward review on 14 February and had not received a link. The ward review went ahead without the care co-ordinator, and no attempt was made to contact her. The responsible clinician was informed by a preceptorship nurse that the Home Treatment Team had refused to accept Abbi as she had a care co-ordinator. This information was known by the treating team to be incorrect the Home Treatment team had agreed to see Abbi on 25 January 2022 and other patients had been assessed and discharged from the Ward with these arrangements previously. This was not checked or challenged, and Abbi was discharged with a real and immediate risk to her life. Abbi’s death was avoidable and contributed to by neglect.

Abigail Louise Smith (Abbi) was found on 15 February 2022 at Braintree Recreation Ground at about 23:25 hours. Resuscitation was unsuccessful and Abbi pronounced deceased at 00:08 hours on 16 February 2022 due to Compression of the Neck caused by Abbi ████████
████████ Abbi had unsuccessfully tried to suspend herself ████████ Abbi had a known history Autism and Learning Disability and had spent many years detained under the Mental Health Act and there is disputed evidence as to her mental health diagnosis. Abbi had a sustained positive response to Clozapine such that she was discharged to supported living as the attempts to end her life had ceased. Abbi became non-compliant with her medication in September/October 2021, and this was reported to community mental health services. The directions of the consultant psychiatrist, who noted a serious deterioration in her mental health was inevitable, were not followed up and Abbi remained on a medication regime that was known not to work. Abigail required assessment under the Mental Health Act on 25 and 27 January 2022 when she made attempts to end her life and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and admitted to hospital. Abbi made numerous attempts to end her life by ligature whilst detained. Abbi was discharged on 14 February 2022 to her supported living accommodation with no plan to mitigate the known fatal risks she posed to herself. The conditions required by the community team to facilitate a safe discharge had not been met and no alternative plan had been put in place. Abbi had indicated on 15 February 2022 that she could not give an assurance that she could keep herself safe and wanted to end her life.

Abbi had admissions to the acute Trust in January and February 2022.

1. There were not sufficient trained staff to conduct the enhanced observations required to monitor Abbi with her known risk of severe self-harm whilst she was awaiting assessment under the Mental Health Act and actively attempting to take her own life.

2. For a period of time Abbi was left under the observation of staff that were security personnel and were not appropriate or trained to undertake this work. Male security staff were informed that Abbi should use a commode due to her presenting risks and there were not sufficient trained female staff available. There had been a previous incident where actions taken to restrain Abbi by security personnel caused her trauma and there had been an allegation of assault, this was not considered in this admission.

3. Abbi at times had to be physically and chemically restrained due to the level of distress and harm to herself. During her admissions Abbi was able to access ligature material that she tied around her neck on multiple occasions over multiple days including her socks, cords from her clothing and pull cords in the bathroom. There were no appropriate care plan and risk assessments to mitigate a significant known risk.

4. Abbi was a complex mental health patient awaiting assessment under the Mental Health Act and was being cared for in a part of the hospital that was not suitable for a patient who was actively attempting to take her life.

5. Staff left Abbi unsupervised during the admission to attend to other patients that permitted her to tie ligatures.

6. No adjustments or plans were made for communication for Abbi as a patient with Autism and learning difficulty