Tragedy as young teacher found dead after being 'locked in cell naked'
A young teacher's life was tragically cut short after she was left deeply traumatised from being stripped and locked in a police cell naked, an inquest heard.
Newly-qualified teacher Jorja Watt, 27, had dedicated six years to her teaching degree and was looking forward to starting a new job in Costa Rica when she passed away unexpectedly on September 1. Jorja had struggled with mental health issues for much of her life and was diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder, known for its intense and fluctuating emotions.
Her arrest during a night out months prior to her death at her friend Charlie's house marked the beginning of a harrowing ordeal. She was detained on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, but it was at the police station where she was allegedly "stripped and left naked in a cell."
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Marie, Jorja's mother, recounted how the incident had "traumatised" her daughter, prompting both Marie and Jorja's father to lodge a formal complaint. The experience shattered Jorja's aspirations of teaching and led to a downward spiral in her mental health, as detailed during the inquest.
Jorja, who ceased taking her medication, began visiting "drug dens" to consume prescription medicines as a way to "self medicate," according to what was heard in court. It was there, at her friend Charlie's house near Lancaster, where her lifeless body was discovered on the morning of September 1, 2024.
Marie depicted her daughter as "quietly spoken, intelligent and kind." In a statement, she said: "She self-medicated and frequented drug dens. She said her main motivation was to dilute her heightened emotions and to feel calm."
Charlie's mother, Voirrey Wilde, recalled her long acquaintance with Jorja. In a statement relayed at the inquest, she recounted: "I had gone to sleep and woke up, Jorja had knocked on the door and she came in with two bags and went in the front room with a male friend called Adam. At around 1 o'clock I woke up to Charlie shouting 'Jorja' repeatedly. I knew something was wrong. I found her slumped on the sofa. Her lips were blue and she was unresponsive."
Prior to her arrival at Charlie's house, the inquest also learned of an occasion when Jorja visited the home of a friend known as "Tall Gill." Before she arrived at Charlie's home Jorja had been to Tall Gill's to collect her bags, LancsLive reported. One of her friends told police: "Jorja had been to this person's house, seen a bottle of brown liquid on the side and said 'I'm taking that'."
A post-mortem toxicology report revealed that Jorja had multiple prescription drugs in her system at the time of her death. These included methadonea heroin substitutepregabalin, and dihydrocodeine.
Additionally, painkillers were present owing to a leg wound for which she had previously been hospitalised. The Area Coroner, Kate Bisset, determined the cause of death as misadventure, an unintended result of one's actions.
Coroner Bisset also remarked on Jorja's resilience and strength, saying: "Jorja was very much a free spirit. She obviously had a core of real steel in her to complete a degree over six years and maintain a job while going through these struggles and that shows a real strength of character."
The official cause of death is listed as multi-medication toxicity, with emotionally unstable personality disorder included as a contributing factor. Miss Bissett emphasised Jorja's struggles by adding: "I think it is right to record this is not someone who is taking drugs for a high and chasing a thrill. Her mental health was a real battle for her and taking medication was an attempt to win that battle."
The Mirror has reached out to Lancashire Police for further comments.
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