Castleton man Gareth Brookes died of 'catastrophic burns' after setting fire to his home

Gareth Brookes

A Castleton man died of ‘catastrophic burns’ sustained in a fire he set at his home after losing his battle with mental health problems, an inquest has found.

Gareth Brookes, who had a 15-year history of anxiety and depression, died on 29 October 2018, after pouring the contents of a container of flammable liquid into the hallway and living room of his home address on Kirklee Road before igniting it.

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A fire rapidly developed with Gareth suffering extensive burns before he was transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital, where he died later that day as a result of his injuries.

At the time of setting fire to his house, Gareth had been experiencing psychotic symptoms. 

His mental health had been managed in primary care up until April 2018 when he had stopped taking his anti-depressant medication. He subsequently reported that it was around this time that he started to experience unusual thoughts that he was cursed, but these thoughts were not continuous. 

Gareth had been assessed by the Early Intervention Team on 21 August 2018 and found not to be suffering with psychosis. He was admitted to Hollingworth Ward at Birch Hill Hospital on 21 September 2018 after self-presenting with suicidal thoughts. 

He took his own discharge on 22 September and had not shown any psychotic symptoms during that admission.

On 24 September 2018, Gareth took an overdose and was admitted to the Irwell Unit. At this time, he was expressing paranoid thoughts about ‘being cursed’ and ‘evil’. He was detained under section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983. 

He was subsequently transferred to Hollingworth Ward on 30 September 2018, where he was discharged on 9 October 2018.  He was seen by Home Treatment Team and his GP on 12 October, who both noted him to be settled and ‘feeling good.’ 

On 18 October his suspicious thoughts returned, and his GP referred him back to mental health services. 

Gareth sadly died five days before he was due to be seen by the mental health team.

Following a three-day hearing at Rochdale Coroner’s Court, Coroner Catherine McKenna ruled that Gareth “'died as a result of the catastrophic burns he sustained when he ignited flammable liquid which he had poured around his house at a time when he was experiencing psychotic symptoms'.