A 67-YEAR-OLD-MAN who hung himself at Bloomfield hospital would have found a way regardless of whether he had access to a belt, according to the magistrate Terry Lucas.
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Following a three-day coronial inquiry in September, Mr Lucas handed down his findings on Tuesday into the death of Phillip Ronald Hohnberg in Orange in May 2013.
He said a staff member of the Western Local Area Health District may have strayed from usual proceedings in Mr Hohnberg’s treatment but that “did not amount to the actions Mr Hohnberg took”.
Mr Lucas said the court was concerned about the Western Local Area Health District’s lack of communication with Mr Hohnberg’s wife, Shirley.
And he questioned why it was not clear how Mr Hohnberg came to be in possession of his belt.
“There is no evidence before me who gave the belt back,” Mr Lucas said.
“The inference is it was returned to him when he thought he was getting leave.
“Clearly a fault in record keeping.”
Prior to 2012, Mr Hohnberg had shown no signs of depression, but after it became clear he was having suicidal thoughts he was ordered by a court to be treated at a mental health clinic from September to January.
He then admitted himself to the clinic voluntarily in April 2013.
On May 28 a nurse checked on him at 1.30am and saw him in bed, however during subsequent checks nurses realised Mr Hohnberg was not in bed, rather he had piled clothing underneath the blankets to make it look as such.
He was then discovered in the bathroom and could not be resuscitated.
“Clearly psychiatry is not an exact science,” Mr Lucas said.
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