Yahoo News Birmingham City Council IT contractor took own life after mental health battle, inquest told
An IT specialist who was working at Birmingham City Council on its 'Oracle' project took his own life - but a coroner has ruled out fears that work issues contributed significantly to his death. Paul Chinn, 56, was found dead at his home in Godalming, Surrey.
An inquest into his death found he died amid a long battle with mental ill health. Surrey Coroner Jonathan Stevens said Mr Chinn had visited his GP and sought support from a counsellor in the period leading up to his death in December 2023.
In a statement, his GP reported he had a history of depression and anxiety, due to bereavement and childhood trauma. His marriage had broken down and he had financial worries. He had visited A&E prior to his death in December 2023 and was discharged with a plan for a GP review and with details for mental health support.
In a conversation with his GP two days before he died he spoke of struggling to cope, was worried about going bankrupt, and that he had been feeling suicidal. But he said he 'felt differently now' and was looking forwards. He was put on anti depressants and a community mental health review was organised, along with a follow up appointment after Christmas.
But he subsequently took his life soon after. The coroner told how a senior officer at Birmingham City Council had contacted him to express concern that the working environment at the council - where Mr Chinn was working at the time as a contractor on the IT system Oracle - 'may have been a contributory factor to the tragic event'.
But the coroner heard evidence that in regular counselling sessions with a psychiatrist he had seen many times, and in his contacts with the GP and emergency services just prior to his death, Mr Chinn had only once raised his work environment as a factor.
"He had intense feelings of worthlessness exacerbated in work," he said. Summing up the case, Mr Stevenson said: "What is clear from the evidence is that Mr Chinn was seriously affected by childhood trauma, estrangement from his family, his marriage break-up and financial worries"...but his working environment rarely featured in his consultations with healthcare professionals. He said he 'did not attribute great weight to that'. He returned a verdict of suicide.
