Mental health suicide victim took taxi to Beachy Head
A PARANOID schizophrenic took his life at Beachy Head after calling a taxi to take him to the notorious suicide spot.
Jonathan Bloch, a musician who was in regular contact with the adult mental health team, travelled from his home in Brighton to Eastbourne on March 25 this year.
An inquest into the 46-year-old’s death was held at Eastbourne Magistrates Court where coroner Alan Craze heard from taxi driver David Crew.
He had picked up Mr Bloch from his home in Lower Rock Gardens and taken him to Beachy Head.
He told the inquest Mr Bloch had been muttering things to himself very quietly and said that he was meeting a friend.
Mr Bloch, who was described by his mother as having ‘a lively and outgoing personality’ but being ‘very much tormented by his mental condition’, was spotted at the cliffs by Manuel Merino who had come down from London for the day with a friend.
He said, “I saw a figure of a person there – about 20/30 metres away. He was looking at us and he stepped off [the cliff].
“I think it was deliberate.”
Julie Livermore, a registered mental health nurse, saw Mr Bloch on a weekly basis and gave him his injection.
She told the inquest she had last seen him on March 21 and said, “At the time he was very fearful and believed some harm would come to him.”
However, she added he was not thought to be at a high risk of self-harm.
Mr Craze recorded a verdict of suicide while the balance of the mind was disturbed.
r If you need to contact The Samaritans, you can call the 24-hour helpline telephone number 08457-909090 or email jo@asamaritans.org
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Eastbourne
Sunday 26 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South west
