Mum of Jay Jones says she has no closure after inquest into TEWV death

Jay Jones died on December 27, 2022 at the Roseberry Park hospital in Middlesbrough, run by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Trust.

Jay’s mum Donna Watson has waited for waited three and a half years for answers about his death, but instead of clarity, she says an inquest which concluded earlier this month, left her reliving the worst moment of her life.

Donna said: “I have waited three and a half years for answers and I didn’t get them. I got some but I feel like my child died for no reason.

23-year-old trans man Jay Jones who died in his room at Roseberry Park, Middlesbrough (Image: FAMILY)

“And had no one take accountability for the fact my child died in their care.

"I still feel I don’t know why. I don’t have any closure from this.

“The inquest was worse than finding out my child had died because it just piled the trauma back on.

“It was more traumatising hearing everything than when I first found out Jay had died. It was worse than the funeral.”

Jay, born a woman named Tia Hope Jones in Northallerton in December 1999, and struggled with complex mental health conditions and been admitted to hospital 26 times in the 34 months before his death.

The inquest earlier this month heard he told a nurse he had tied a ligature in his bedroom hours before he was found unresponsive in his room.

A jury also heard that TEWV was told his autism diagnosis had been overlooked and masked by mental health issues after workers requested an independent review into his care to determine what more could be done to help him.

They concluded Jay died by a common method of suicide but ruled the death as misadventure, meaning he did not intend to end his life.

Donna said she had not been told how serious her son’s self-harm had become, adding: “I was mortified hearing some of the things Jay was doing.

“I didn’t know how bad the self-harming was because I was never kept informed.

“I’m left wondering how could I have done more for him when I didn’t know.

“Maybe if they had come to the family for family history, they would have known all this but they didn’t. I was never kept informed.”

Donna added her son had plans for the future and wanted to help others, saying, “He had a future. He wanted to be a paramedic, and he was desperate to help people.”

The jury found Jay had developed a chronic pattern of self-harm between 2020 and 2022, creating a high risk of accidental death. His behaviour escalated following his first admission to a mental health ward in February 2020.

The inquest also identified a number of failings in Jay’s care. Evidence heard by the court found that observation levels were not increased after he reported a ligature incident earlier the same afternoon, despite his known chronic risk pattern.

The findings also noted uncertainty about whether the ligature item had been removed and that the incident may not have been communicated to all staff.

The coroner’s record states that the decision not to increase the level of observations "was not appropriate due to his chronic risk pattern".

In a video tribute shown to jurors, Jay's mum said was he was one of six siblings and was always “fighting for attention,” but remembered him as just the “funniest person” and a real “ball of energy.” She added he was “so caring behind all his mental health problems”.

Donna Preston, three from the left bottom row, who is part of the families who called for a public inquiry into TEWV (Image: PROVIDED)

Donna is one of the bereaved relatives who campaigned for a public inquiry into the trust.

Wes Streeting called the probe back in December, but families say they are now left 'in limbo' as they wait for it to get underway.

If you are in need of support you can contact the following:

- The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.

- Local charity, Harbour, is available 24 hours a day on 03000 20 25 25.

- The Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (RSACC) offers free, specialist support to anyone who has experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives. Call 01325 354119 or email info@rsacc-thecentre.org.uk.