The family of a 20-year-old Exeter woman who struggled with her mental health for many years believe more could have been done to keep her safe, an inquest has heard.
Shannon Horsley, who was born in North Devon, was found passed away in her bedroom in Heavitree, Exeter, on April 29, 2022. She had moved into supported accommodation the previous month having spent the past couple of years in mental health hospitals.
An inquest at Exeter Coroner’s Court today, January 13, heard she grew up in north Devon and began suffering with anxiety when she was a pupil at Great Torrington High School. Her career plan was to work for welfare and mental health services but she did not obtain the grades she needed for her chosen course which was said to have affected her a lot.
She continued her studies at Exeter College but by the age of 17, she was living at adolescent inpatient unit Wessex House in Bridgwater where she remained until she turned 18 and was transferred to adult mental health services.
She had a lengthy stay at The Cedars in Exeter and was diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder. For a time, she lived with her father but continued to self-harm.
Her father, Stephen Giles, who described Shannon as having been a ‘Daddy’s girl’, told in a statement how she made several suicide attempts over the years which he believed were ‘cries for help’.
He said: “She was a wonderful young lady and we loved her very much. She would say, ‘I’m not ill, I have got a chemical imbalance in my head’.”
Devastated by her death, he said: “She should have been provided with more care. I really feel like the mental health services have let Shannon down.”
In a statement, her mum Sandra Giles described her relationship with Shannon as having been ‘wonderful’ but admitted her daughter did not want to reveal how bad things were to not worry her.
She recalled the last time she had seen her in person was on December 30 when she was an inpatient on Delderfield Ward at The Cedars in Exeter. She was discharged in March 2022, and the last time they spoke was April 28, when she was said to have been looking forward to celebrating her 21st birthday later that year.
Concerned about the care her daughter had received in the lead up to her death, she said she believed Shannon should ‘never’ have been in assisted living and should have been sectioned.
She said: “If she had been sectioned, I think she would have progressed further and coped in assisted living.”
Her partner, who she had been in a relationship for two years, told how Shannon had made a suicide attempt and appeared ‘psychotic’ shortly prior to her death but was not detained under the Mental Health Act following an assessment.
Instead she was returned back to her supported living accommodation. She recalled being sent a text which stated: “They don’t care whether I live or die so why should I?”. In another she added: “Deep down I don’t want to die.”
The DevonLive Shatter the Silence campaign aims to encourage anyone struggling to reach out and talk – to either a friend, relative, charity or a professional. Our campaign content will highlight just how important talking is and the difference it can make.
Ultimately, we want to reduce the number of people who die by suicide in Devon. We will highlight where to get help and show how talking has helped people come through difficult times in their lives. We will speak to families who have lost loved ones to look at the lasting impact of suicide and attempt to dismiss the inaccurate belief many people who are struggling manifest that they are a burden on the ones they love. We will look at the devastation caused to those left behind in the hope that even one reader might change their mind if they have considered taking their own life.
We will speak to people who have survived a suicide attempt and have accessed counselling or other mental health services to show that things can get better. We will speak to Samaritans volunteers about their vital work in Devon and how they are on hand 24-7 to listen. And we will offer guidance on what to say to someone who is struggling so people feel more confident to have that conversation.
Do you have a relevant story to share? Email emma.slee@reachplc.com.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
SAMARITANS offers support in a range of ways, including a self-help app, email support or by calling 116 123 for free 24 hours a day
NHS Offers advice on how to access mental health support
TALKWORKS is a free-to-access NHS service offering a variety of treatment and support for adults (aged 18+) living in Devon (excluding Plymouth)
CALM offer a free, confidential helpline 0800 58 58 58 and webchat, 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life’s problems
HUB OF HOPE is a mental health support database that can signpost you to local support services
ANDY’S MAN CLUB offers men a chance to talk with like-minded people. They have clubs in Devon as well as nationally
KOOTH & QWELL provides free, safe and anonymous online mental wellbeing support, including moderated peer support forums and text-based counselling, to all residents living in Devon (aged 11+)
PETE’S DRAGONS provide free-to-access support to all residents living in Devon who may have been bereaved by suicide at any point in their lives
THE MOORINGS is an emotional support service that provides telephone and face-to-face support via a drop-in service at its bases in Exeter, Barnstaple and Torquay. It is a non-clinical service but provides emotional support, signposting to other services and other general support that is tailored to the people who access it.
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Her partner said in her statement: “So many things could have prevented her death, yet so many professionals failed her. I hope we can find some justice to prevent this from happening again.
“I have heard so many stories like Shannon’s. I don’t want her to be another statistic. How many people have to die before things change?”
The inquest heard Shannon did not engage with Together drug and alcohol services, but received weekly support from the local personality disorder service. She was said to have asked her supported living provider, Rethink Mental Illness, for staff to check on her hourly.
Shannon was found passed away on her bed with a ligature around her neck. The inquest continues and is listed to be taking place until January 17.