More than two years ago, what should have been a routine assessment of the mental health of Erith man Andrew Jordan ended in his death. Now an inquest has begun into how and why Mr Jordan died. LINDA PIPER reports ...

A POLICE officer called in to help persuade a mentally-ill man to go to hospital has claimed ambulance staff ignored warnings about the risk to his life.

Andrew Jordan, 28, of Sycamore Mews, St John's Road, Erith, died on October 7, 2003.

The jury at the inquest into his death, was warned by coroner Dr Roy Palmer: "There are likely to be significant conflicts in relation to how Mr Jordan met his death and what was said by police to ambulance staff at the handover of Mr Jordan."

PC Terry Fearn told the inquest at Erith Town Hall, Bexley Road, Erith, he and fellow PC Tina Lautier had been asked as a precaution by Oxleas NHS Trust to attend Mr Jordan's home for an assessment.

They had been asked to wait out of sight in case their presence upset Mr Jordan but were requested to see if they could talk him round, after a mental health team failed to persuade him to open the door.

Despite evidence from Oxleas staff Mr Jordan had opened his door and let the officers in, PC Fearn said Mr Jordan had attempted to shut the door again and he and PC Lautier had to force it open.

Although only the police officers heard it, PC Fearn claimed Mr Jordan was shouting "You will see blood. Do you want to see blood?" and had forced their way in because they feared for his safety.

He described how Mr Jordan had grabbed him from behind around his neck and the two had fallen on a sofa in the living room.

Although Mr Jordan's grip was weak, PC Fearn asked PC Lautier to call for urgent assistance.

Despite Mr Jordan's grip tightening, PC Fearn slipped out of it and turned Mr Jordan around, so he was on his knees on the floor, with his upper body bent over the seat of the sofa.

As Mr Jordan struggled, PC Lautier and Oxleas staff tried to hold him still, while PC Fearn attempted to cuff his hands behind his back.

During this time, PC Fearn, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, said Mr Jordan had bitten his left forearm and claimed he had "lightly" punched Mr Jordan's forehead near his eye three times, to make him stop.

As a large number of other officers arrived on the scene, PC Fearn went to get the bite, which had not drawn blood, treated.

When he returned up to 10 minutes later, Mr Jordan was still on his knees, bent over the sofa.

He said officers tried to get Mr Jordan on his feet but he was limp and floppy and could not stand.

He told the inquest: "In my opinion Mr Jordan was in distress and needed help."

Another officer asked attending GP Dr Swnadurai Somasegaram to check Mr Jordan.

The GP told the inquest Mr Jordan's pulse had been strong.

As Mr Jordan could not stand, officers carried him from the house and placed him face down on a canvas stretcher.

He was then carried to the ambulance's trolley stretcher, where he was again laid face down with his head turned to the side and hands still cuffed behind his back.

It was suggested he was held in place by two straps.

PC Fearn said officers expressed their concerns to the ambulance staff about Mr Jordan and had suggested he be laid on his side and the handcuffs removed.

He said they had been worried about positional asphyxia, which can happen when heavy people are laid face down and their breathing restricted.

But he claimed ambulance staff had reassured the police Mr Jordan was alright.

Earlier, Oxleas staff gave conflicting accounts of what had happened at Mr Jordan's home.

The inquest continues.

Family's fight for truth

THE family of Andrew Jordan has been fighting since his death to find out what happened on the day he died.

Mr Jordan, a printer, who was married with a young daughter, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2000.

He was later also discovered to have insulin dependent diabetes.

His father David told the inquest his son's mental health problems had become apparent as the family prepared to return home from a family reunion in Guyana at the end of 1999.

Andrew discovered his wife of three years, Savitri, and baby daughter would not be allowed back into Britain.

His delayed return home, as he tried to sort out the problem, cost him his job. He was forced to fly back without his family and became more depressed as he waited to be reunited with them and tried to get work.

Evidence showed he had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act on three previous occasions after failing to take his medication but had never been known to be violent towards anyone.

At the time of his death he was living alone in a supported flat in Erith and had celebrated his birthday just four days before he died.

Mr Jordan said he had seen Andrew two days before his death. He said: "He was with his brother and some friends. He seemed jolly."

He visited his wife and daughter the day before his birthday when he was "fine and happy".

She had expected to see him on his birthday, October 3, but he had not turned up.

David Jordan said he had received a call from someone from Oxleas NHS Trust on October 7, the day his son died, to tell him Andrew had a problem.

Mr Jordan said his wife, who was disabled, was unwell and had been in hospital, and he was unable to help with Andrew.

He said he asked Oxleas to do its best for his son. Mr Jordan said he had no idea of what was happening until he received a phone call at 2.45pm telling him Andrew was dead and to go to Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, to identify the body.

He said he was surprised no-one had been in touch when the trouble began at Andrew's home, as the family lived only five minutes away.

Oxleas staff told the inquest they would have needed a court order to compel Andrew to have an assessment or go to hospital on the day of his death, if he refused. And there was no right of entry to his home to assess him.

After his son's death Mr and Mrs Jordan, his widow, brother and sister campaigned to find out the truth about Andrew's death, protesting outside Bexleyheath police station.

The Police Complaints Authority, London Ambulance Service and Oxleas NHS Trust launched separate inquiries as the family demanded answers to dozens of questions.

Devoted mother took own life

WHEN Andrew Jordan was finally cremated almost a year to the day after his death, following a Hindu ceremony at his family home, it was not to be alone.

His mother, Theresa aged 50, who had stayed with her son and cared for him during his relapses, took her own life nine months after his death.

Mrs Jordan, who was disabled and had a heart condition, was unable to cope with Andrew's death, say family members.

She was particularly distressed by the need to keep Andrew's body frozen in the morgue at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, while further post-mortem examinations were carried out to establish the cause of his death.

After he died, she had campaigned with her husband David and two other children, to find out the truth about what happened, despite her health problems.

She died on September 23 from organ failure after taking an overdose, just two days before her son's body was finally released for cremation.

The devoted mother and son shared a funeral on October 5, 2004.

Time line of events

THE events which took place at Andrew Jordan's home on October 7, 2003, happened over a very short space of time.

  • 11.30am Oxleas mental health staff nurse and Mr Jordan's care co-ordinator Koy Rajaram visits Mr Jordan and talks to him about going into hospital. He is agitated and says he does not want to go, or to see the doctors.
  • Noon Assessment team from Oxleas arrives at Mr Jordan's but decides to wait for police to arrive.
  • 12.48pm PCs Terry Fearn and Tina Lautier arrive after being delayed on a 999 call.
  • 12.58pm Emergency button on the police personal radio, asking for urgent assistance, is activated after PC Fearn is grabbed by Mr Jordan.
  • 12.59pm first police car offering assistance arrives.
  • 13.03pm more police reinforcements arrive.
  • 13.10pm approx PC Fearn observes Mr Jordan "in distress and needing help" after he cannot stand up.
  • 13.20pm approx Mr Jordan is transferred to an ambulance to be taken to the mental health unit at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup.
  • 14.15pm Mr Jordan is pronounced dead in A&E at Queen Mary's.
  • 14.45pm approx Social worker Martin Oliver telephones Mr Jordan's family to tell them of his death.