Coroner's Court of Western Australia

Inquest into the Suspected Death of Paul Clifford YORK

Inquest into the Suspected Death of Paul Clifford YORK

 

Delivered on : 5 November 2020

Delivered at : Perth

Finding of : Deputy State Coroner King

Recommendations : N/A

Orders/Rules : N/A

Suppression Order : N/A

Summary : Mr York lived in Kalannie with his partner. He was 45 years old.

Mr York’s mental health history included suicide ideation (by hanging) and attempted suicides by amphetamine overdose and by hanging. On 1 November 2011, Mr York told a doctor of a recent attempt to hang himself and said that if he went home he could commit suicide. He was transferred by ambulance to the Joondalup Health Campus. During the journey, he told the ambulance officer that he planned to kill himself and that his body would not be found.

At Joondalup Health Campus, Mr York was assessed with suicidal ideation in the context of ongoing severe psychosocial stressors on a background of possible adjustment disorder and major depression episode, comorbid personality structure and poor coping skill. His risk of self-harm was moderate. He was discharged on 3 November 2011 with follow-up at Wheatbelt Mental Health Service. On 9 November 2011, he told the WMHS team that he was not sleeping well and could not cope. He was assessed to be at moderate risk of both suicide and violence against others. That evening, Mr York and his partner had an uneventful evening.

On 10 November 2011, Mr York had coffee with his partner and left to go to work. He stopped to visit a friend at about 8.00 am. At around lunch-time, his partner called him and asked if he would be coming home for lunch. Mr York said that he would not be coming home and that he would see her later. Mr York did not return home that night and did not answer any calls made to his phone.

On Friday 11 November 2011, Mr York’s partner reported him missing to police. On 15 November 2011, police were informed that he had previously said that he would kill himself in Petrudor Rocks National Park (the Park). Police found Mr York’s ute in the southeast corner of the Park, but a search was discontinued before all of the Park could be covered. He was never found, and he has had no contact with family, friends, banks or government agencies. There was evidence suggesting that he attempted suicide by hanging in the Park in 2009.

The Deputy State Coroner was satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that Mr York was deceased and that he died in the Park on or about 10 November 2010 The Deputy State Coroner was unable to determine how the deceased and made an Open Finding as to how death occurred.

Catch Words : Missing Person : Mental Health : Land and Air Search : Open Finding : Petrudor Rocks


Last updated: 30-Nov-2020

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