A student mental health nurse died after consuming a toxic substance which she obtained on the dark web, an inquest heard.
Bronwen Morgan had suffered with mental ill health for more than two years before her death in August 2020.
Wales Online reports an inquest into her death on Tuesday at Pontypridd Coroners’ Court coroner Graeme Hughes described how Miss Morgan, 26, had made multiple attempts to take her own life in the weeks and months leading up to her death on August 27.
In notes discovered following her death Miss Morgan described how she was dissatisfied with the mental health care and treatment she had received.
Coroner Mr Hughes read a statement from Haydn Morgan, Miss Morgan’s father, in which he described how Miss Morgan’s mental health started to deteriorate in January 2018 and she sought help from her GP in May 2018.
Mr Morgan described how his daughter, from Cardiff, was a qualified primary school teacher, and was in her second year of university where she was training to become a mental health nurse.
He told how in the weeks and months leading up to her death there were a number of incidents where Miss Morgan attempted to take her own life.
Relating to the incidences of self-harm Mr Morgan said as a family they were concerned to let her leave the house, fearing she would harm herself, after she moved home during March 2020 at the start of the pandemic.
Mr Morgan would often sleep on the floor outside her room at night to make sure she was okay however Miss Morgan would leave the house through the first-floor window.
On the day of her death Mr Morgan described how he took Miss Morgan to an appointment at her GP practice where she had been attending over the last few weeks for the dressing of a wound caused by self-harm.
Miss Morgan had been due to visit a friend Miss Childs, but she did not arrive.
A statement read to the court from Miss Childs told how she received distressing messages from Miss Morgan. This prompted Mr Morgan and his family to look for her and inform the police.
Miss Morgan’s sister was able to obtain her whereabouts through Apple’s Find My iPhone and they located her at the Premier Inn in Pentwyn. Police were informed and attended the hotel just under half an hour after Miss Morgan checked in at around 6.30pm.
A statement from PC McNally, told how he and a second officer obtained access to Miss Morgan’s hotel room with help of the hotel staff. He described the medical treatment that he, and later paramedics, applied to Miss Morgan before she was taken to the University Hospital of Wales. At 7.45pm that day Miss Morgan was declared dead.
Following her death Miss Morgan’s sister Tesni Morgan gained access to her laptop where she came across a website about suicide which Bronwen Morgan had an account for.
Miss Morgan’s sister discovered that she had been conversing with a man from Croatia who had sent her a link to obtain a substance online.
Later on Miss Morgan’s sister was able to access her Apple account and discovered notes that showed Miss Morgan had participated in forums and threads on this website asking for advice on suicide.
Given evidence at the hearing Dr Emma Morgan, a consultant psychiatrist who cared for Miss Morgan, explained that over the course of her mental health treatment Miss Morgan was prescribed a number of medications including anti-psychotics, sedatives, and antidepressants. She had been given a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder. Dr Morgan added that Miss Morgan’s acts of self-harm became more frequent over the course of 2019 and they also increased in their riskiness.
Dr Morgan said: “It was clear the risk of accidental death through self-harm was very high. We were aware of that as a team looking after Bronwen.”
Dr Morgan continued to describe how the treatment which was considered the best for Miss Morgan was only available in the community. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), according to mental health charity Mind, is a type of talking therapy which is designed for people who feel emotions very intensely.
Coroner Mr Hughes read evidence from Dr Alex Lawson who gave Miss Morgan’s cause of death as sodium nitrate toxicity. The inquest continues.
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