Death of Wigan teen may have been 'impulsive act', inquest hears

But a coroner said 15-year-old Liam Bridge may have acted “impulsively” on April 6 and it was not clear that he intended to die.

Liam, from Worsley Hall, was loved by his family, especially his great-aunt Trish O’Brien-Bridge, who he called his nan and lived with from the age of eight months.

But Bolton Coroner’s Court heard he faced a number of difficulties, including dealing with his emotions and behaviour, suspected ADHD and family issues.

Liam did well at primary school, but began to struggle in his teenage years and moved into alternative education and home tutoring after being excluded from high school.

He started smoking cannabis, which may have been a coping mechanism, and it led to him seeking money to buy the drug or pay off debts.

The inquest heard Liam’s girlfriend reported he threatened to harm himself when he was upset or angry.

Liam was seen by the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) in June 2023, when he was feeling low, had issues with anger and needed to be constantly occupied.

There were suspicions he could have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) so a referral was made for an assessment.

At the next appointment in August, concerns were raised about marks on Liam’s neck and he said people were “after him” in connection to cannabis.

A referral was made to forensic CAMS (FCAMS), which works with young people with complex presentations and high-risk behaviour, but he was discharged to continue receiving support from CAMHS.

At a meeting on February 27, Liam had marks on his neck, his eyes were red and he said he had been “jumped” by someone.

Senior nurse practitioner Alisha Marie Partington said: “I fully accepted what he told me. It was in context with things he had said before about owing money and things like that and I didn’t think there was anything underlying that would have been the reason for the marks.”

The court heard he had given the same explanation in A&E, but later admitted the injuries were caused in an attempt to end his life, when his girlfriend found him in time.

Ms O’Brien-Bridge phoned CAMHS on March 4 to inform them, with a duty worker calling her back as Ms Partington was on a training course.

The next day a nurse recommended that Liam go to A&E for an assessment amid concerns for his mental health, but he refused.

Ms Partington spoke to Ms O’Brien-Bridge on March 11 and was told he was doing better.

They were due to meet on March 20, but it was cancelled due to staff sickness and rearranged for April 2.

Ms Partington told the inquest that Liam was “hostile and argumentative” that day. He said he had no purpose in life, his mental health was getting worse and he would take his life if nothing changed soon.

She said: “His presentation had changed. He was never tearful, but at this appointment he was and that was worrying for me.”

She told him to go to A&E, but he refused, and when she suggested asking the police to escort him there, he became more upset.

Concerned it would damage their relationship if she called police, Ms Partington instead referred him to the rapid response team for support, which he accepted.

They contacted him that day by phone and gave safety advice, with the court hearing he gave no indication of any intent to end his life.

Members of the rapid response team went to Liam’s house the next day and he was not there, with Ms O’Brien-Bridge telling them by phone that she was not aware of the appointment and she had taken him to Liverpool. Liam refused to speak to them.

Three days later, on the morning of April 6, Liam was seen smoking cannabis with a friend outside his home, said a friendly hello to a neighbour and spoke to his girlfriend by phone.

He told his friend he was going into the house to get changed but did not return.

When Ms O’Brien-Bridge returned home a short time later, she found Liam unresponsive in his bedroom.

She sought help from a neighbour and called 999, leading to Liam being taken to Wigan Infirmary by ambulance, but he could not be saved.

A post-mortem examination found he died by hanging.

Coroner Michael Pemberton said there was “no suspicion” that Liam would do what he did that morning and it may have been an “impulsive act”.

"He had been found before and it was quite possibly his hope again that morning. I note that the windows and blinds in his room were open and I would query whether this was to allow attention to be obtained in terms of that impulsive act and discovery before the consequences of the act took effect,” he said.

He recorded a narrative conclusion that Liam died by hanging, but it was not known if he intended to take his life, as he was known to act impulsively, had suspected ADHD and had been smoking cannabis that morning.

Representatives from CAMHS told the inquest changes had been made since Liam’s death, including taking a more “holistic” approach to risk assessment and management and more psychiatric staff and case managers being appointed.

After the hearing, Ms O’Brien-Bridge said: “I miss Liam with every beat of my heart and my life will never be the same again without my boy Liam in it. It was always just me and my shadow Liam.”

If you need to speak to someone, call Samaritans at any time on 116 123.