Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2014
Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2014-0321, written 9 Jul 2014. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.
| Date of report | 9 Jul 2014 |
|---|---|
| Reference | 2014-0321 |
| Deceased | David Giles |
| Coroner | Zafar Siddique |
| Coroner area | Birmingham & Solihull |
| Category | Other related deaths |
| Source | judiciary.uk record · original PDF |
| Responses published | 1 |
Text extracted from the PDF text layer. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.
REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO: 1. The Right Honourable Theresa May, MP 1 CORONER I am Zafar Siddique, Area Coroner for the coroner area of Birmingham and Solihull. 2 CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS I make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013. 3 INVESTIGATION and INQUEST On 10th April 2014, I opened an Inquest touching the death of David Reginald Giles, aged 64 years old. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 4 July 2014. The conclusion of the inquest was that the cause of David’s death was due to 1(a) Asphyxia due to helium inhalation and 2) Hyperglycaemia, Morbid obesity. 4 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH 1. On the 31st March 2014 David Reginald Giles was discovered in his lounge at his home address with a plastic bag over his head connected by tubing to a helium gas canister. 2. He had no relevant history of suffering from depression. 3. In evidence at the inquest hearing his wife, announced that she would be divorcing him and her solicitor had sent him a letter confirming this. She was aware he had received this letter previously (approximate date received 6 March 2014). 4. Mr Giles had written letters and sent an e-mail to his friends and colleagues confirming his intention to take his own life the day before being discovered. 5. When Mr Giles was discovered by his wife, she alerted neighbours who called the ambulance and paramedics attended and confirmed his death at 0834 hours on the 31 March 2014. 7. There was no evidence to suggest that any other person was involved in his death. confirmed that she had recently 5 CORONER’S CONCERNS During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you. The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows. – (1) The sale of Helium gas canisters is readily available to members of the general 1 public with no apparent restrictions or conditions on sale or place. (2) Helium gas canisters appear to be sold in a standard size which contains a sizable volume of Helium. (3) Helium canisters are not fitted with any modified control valve which if in place could restrict the volume of gas being released and are generally sold in standard sizes. (4) The type of immediate and easily accessible information through internet search engines which provides clear and detailed guidance on how to commit suicide by inhalation of helium gas. (7) The latest statistical update on Suicide report issued in January 2014 by the Department for Health suggests that there were 51 deaths mentioning helium in 2012 in England, almost five times higher than the 11 deaths recorded in 2008. Although the number of deaths involving these substances is still relatively small, the large increases are of particular interest as almost all of these deaths were suicides. 6 ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you [and/or your organisation] have the power to take such action. 7 YOUR RESPONSE You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by 4 September 2014. I, the coroner, may extend the period. Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed. 8 COPIES and PUBLICATION I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested Persons:- The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner. 9 9th July 2014 [SIGNED BY CORONER] 2
1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.
» From Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP ROR Minister of State for Care and Support i Department Department of Health : i Richmond House of Health 79 Whitehall London SW1A 2NS Mr Z Siddique Area Coroner Coroners Court 50 Newton Street Birmingham B4 6NE ew re Stage. Thank you for your letter following the inquest into the death of David Giles. In your report you state that the cause of death was asphyxia due to helium inhalation, hyperglycaemia and morbid obesity. Mr Giles was found at his home address on 31 March 2014 with a plastic bag over his head connected to a helium gas canister. He had no history of depression but had received a letter earlier in the month from his wife's solicitor announcing her intention to divorce him. On the day before he was discovered he had written an email and letters to friends and colleagues confirming his intention to take his own life. When his wife discovered him on 31 March 2014, she alerted neighbours who called the ambulance services. Paramedics attended and confirmed his death. | was sorry to read of Mr Giles’s death and wish to extend my sincere sympathies to his family. You raise the following matters of concern: e The sale of helium gas canisters is readily available to the public with no restrictions or conditions on sale or place. e Helium gas canisters are sold in a standard size which contains a sizable volume of helium. e Helium canisters are not fitted with any modified control valve which could restrict the volume of gas being released. e Clear and detailed guidance on how to commit suicide by helium inhalation is easily accessible through the Internet. e The latest statistical update on Suicide by DH, January 2014, shows a large increase in the number of deaths involving helium — from eleven such deaths in 2008 to fifty one deaths in 2012. | i e O epartment f Health 1e) Similar issues and concerns relating to the sale and use of helium gas in suicide have been raised in previous Regulation 28 cases. The most recent case dealt with by the Department concerned the death of Matthew Satterthwaite. The information we provided in our response to the Matthew Satterthwaite Regulation 28 report is still pertinent. | have therefore enclosed a copy of our earlier reply to the Manchester Coroner, Nigel Meadows, and trust that this fully addresses the concerns you raise in your Regulation 28 report regarding the death of David Giles. | hope that this response is helpful and | am grateful to you for bringing the circumstances of Mr Giles’s death to my attention. ~ Lt ee NORMAN LAMB
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