Police and paramedics battled in vain to save life of man at York hostel

A resident at a York hostel died despite the best efforts of staff, police and paramedics to save him.

An inquest today (Monday) heard that Bryan Clements, 32, was found hanging in his room at the Peasholme Centre for homeless people on Fishergate, on 12 June 2021.

A member of staff couldn’t find a pulse and used a defibrillator and CPR to try to revive Mr Clements. A police officer then tried CPR before paramedics arrived and took over.

However they were unable to save Mr Clements, and pronounced him dead at 2.01pm.

A post mortem gave the cause of death as hanging and ‘multiple illicit drug misuse’. Toxicology tests found heroin, cocaine and methadone in his system, as well as diazepam and pregabalin, used to treat anxiety.

Together, these would have had a “detrimental effect” on his cognitive state at the time of his death, a report by pathologist Dr Craig Bratten found.

In previous consultations with health staff, Mr Clements had expressed suicidal thoughts.

But in his last face-to-face meeting with a care coordinator on 9 June, although he showed signs of anxiety, he denied having suicidal thoughts and was planning for his future, the inquest was told.

Jon Heath, senior coroner for York and North Yorkshire, gave a narrative conclusion to the inquest.

He said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Clements’ death.

“I am satisfied that Bryan did take his own life,” he said. However, to give a conclusion of suicide, he would also have to be satisfied that he intended to do so.

Given the amount of drugs in Mr Clements’ system may have had “a significant detrimental effect upon his cognition”, the coroner couldn’t determine with any certainty that he intended to take his own life.

Mr Heath offered his condolences to Mr Clements’ family.