Psychiatric nurse tried to free patient stuck in window

Jessica Powell died three days after getting trapped in a window

A psychiatric nurse has told an inquest how he discovered a young woman trapped in a window and not breathing on a mental health ward.

Patient Jessica Powell, 20, died on 22 August 2020 following the incident three days earlier at Summerlands Hospital in Yeovil.

Stephen Aduachie said he found Miss Powell with her lower body sticking out of a narrow gap, no bigger than 10cm, after she had become trapped in the window.

He said he was forced to run around the entire hospital in order to free her from the outside.

He added that he had tried his best to release her from inside the room, but there was "no way" she was coming out.

"I supported her head whilst I was using my finger to check her pulse and couldn't find it," he said.

"I was using my strength to open the window a bit wider for Jess to breath, even though there was no sign of her breathing."

The gap in the window was about 10cm wide

The jury at the inquest, sitting in Wells, heard that on the evening of 19 August 2020, ward staff found Ms Powell stuck part way through a window that was open but subject to window restrictors.

It meant the window could only be opened to about 10cm wide.

Mr Aduachie told the jury that a search was launched for Miss Powell, who was diagnosed with emotional unstable borderline personality disorder, after she went missing at about 22:30 BST.

He said it was about 10 minutes later that he found her after unlocking a door to a therapy room.

It appears Miss Powell had locked herself in the room before trying to squeeze through the window when she became trapped by her chest, the inquest was told.

Miss Powell had locked herself in a therapy room

Mr Aduachie said Miss Powell had gone feet first out the window, but that the upper part of her body could not be moved.

"No one was coming so I shouted 'help' out of the door," he said.

He had to leave Miss Powell with other staff members while he ran through the hospital and out the main exit, which was on the opposite side to where Miss Powell was trapped.

He said he then had to go back around the building to make his way to where she was stuck.

"When I got there I tried to push the window a bit wider, when I pushed it a bit more the window opened a bit and then Jess (was) brought to the floor," he said.

Miss Powell received emergency medical treatment and was taken to Yeovil District Hospital, but later died from her injuries.

'Life-threatening behaviour'

A post-mortem examination found the cause of her death to be hypoxic ischemia caused by mechanical asphyxia - meaning a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

During the opening of the inquest Miss Powell's father, John Powell, said in a statement that the family had been concerned about his daughter's "self-harming and life-threatening behaviour".

He added he had been worried his concerns were "not taken seriously".

The inquest is due to conclude next week.