Woman, 23, died after she was found unconscious in hospital toilet
04.07.2023 - 06:05
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The inquest into the death of a 23-year-old who was found unconscious in the toilet of a psychiatric hospital has resumed.
Stephanie Mullineux, 23, was discovered lying face down in a locked cubicle at Leigh Infirmary. She died the next day after her life support machine was switched off on February 8, 2016.
In 2019, Deborah Howard - the healthcare assistant who found Ms Mullineux - avoided jail for perverting the course of justice after it emerged Ms Mullineux was not given immediate medical treatment as she lay in the cubicle. Howard had previously stated that a nurse had treated Ms Mullineux at once.
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In a pre-inquest review on Monday (July 3) at Bolton Coroners Court, coroner Peter Sigee said Ms Mullineux's full inquest would likely take place in May and June 2024. The review heard Miss Mullineux had been found hanged in the cubicle. Howard will be required to attend the inquest as a witness, Mr Sigee said.
During Howard's 2019 sentencing, the court heard Ms Mullineux had been admitted to the Cavendish psychiatric ward following a history of self harm and attempted suicide.
Staff were instructed to check on her every ten minutes but the alarm was raised after she locked herself inside a toilet cubicle. Howard gained entry to the cubicle and found Ms Mullineux unconscious. Despite Howard's initial suggestion that Ms Mullineux had received immediate medical treatment, the court heard how she later had been 'losing sleep' over the lie.
Matthew Corbett-Jones, prosecuting, said: ''In a statement prepared for the coroner the defendant explained that following the discovery of Stephanie, a nurse had arrived and provided