Investigation and inquest
On the 26th June 2012 I commenced an investigation into the death of Daniel Onley, aged thirty five. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on the 29th August 2012. The conclusion of the inquest was:
Cause of death: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
Conclusion: Natural Causes
Circumstances of the death
Daniel Onley had been a resident at Orchard House, Grange Village Littledean in Gloucestershire, since 1999 his care being provided by the Camphill Village Trust. At about 8.00 am on the morning of the 22nd of June 2012 a carer entered Daniel’s accommodation and found him face down in the bath. A subsequent post mortem examination concluded that he had died from “sudden unexplained death in epilepsy”.
Coroner’s concerns
(1) That the arrangements in place to support Daniel to take his anti-convulsant medication were insufficient.
(2) There had been a failure to manage risks associated with Daniel’s management of his medication.
(3) The supervision provided to Daniel during the evening of Thursday 21st June 2012 was not sufficient to safeguard Daniel’s safety and wellbeing.