Work worries of police officer found hanging

Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard Jayne Shelton, 45, was a conscientious police officer who had never suffered from depression. But she endured sleepless nights worrying about a new computer system she had been asked to implement for South Yorkshire Police.

In the early hours of January 17, 2011 Mrs Shelton woke up worrying about work before apparently slashing her wrists and groin at the home in Low Ackworth, near Pontefract, she shared with her husband, Paul. She was taken to Pontefract Hospital and transferred to Pinderfields where she 
underwent surgery the following day.

The inquest heard Mr Shelton, also a serving police officer, claim he had been told by medical staff in Pontefract that an appointment had been made for his wife’s mental health to be assessed by a crisis team but this did not happen.

At 4am on January 19, 2011, a night nurse discovered Mrs Shelton hanging from the neck by a dressing gown cord tied to a shower pipe.

Reading from Mr Shelton’s statement, coroner David Hinchliff said: “You said her treatment was diabolical. You said it was as though you were somebody else’s problem. You feel if someone had listened to you and let you stay with Jayne until she could have got some help from the crisis team that Jayne’s death could have been avoided.” The inquest continues.