A man who suffered with mental health issues for much of his adult life was found dead in his room at a secure unit. Marvin Dawson was a patient at Newton House, a privately-run secure mental health unit in Blackpool.
A three-day inquest, which started on Monday at Blackpool Town Hall, heard how Marvin had been detained under the Mental Health Act since April 2008. He had a history of self-harming and on several occasions had been reported missing from Newton House.The inquest, which is being heard by a jury, is a type known as an Article 2 inquest. These are held in cases where an individual has died whilst being in the custody of the state.
Senior Coroner Alan Wilson described brief circumstances of Marvin's death to the jury. "On September 1, 2022, Marvin had been in his room all night and at 8.40am a member of staff looked into his room through a window in his door and became concerned," the coroner said. He appeared to be unconscious and they sought help but Marvin was deceased."