Melanie Leahy, is a mother fighting for justice after the death of her only child, Matthew. The heartbroken mother is now calling for a public inquiry into her son’s death back in November 2012.
Melanie, who has family members who live in Collier Row, tells the Havering Daily about the tragic events she’s been through that led to her son’s death.
‘My son was taken by police to a psychiatric ward in Chelmsford, where having been assessed by the doctor was sectioned as delusional. I was advised not to visit for a week and let him settle on the ward.
‘I respected this. But, Matthew was dead by the end of that week and I never got to see my son alive again. I received text messages from him saying, ‘Mum I’m in hell, get me out of here.’
‘Day three of admission Matthew called his dad. He was crying and very upset, saying he had been drugged and raped. Matthew called the police, but by the time police arrived he had been given a cocktail of medication by staff and the police said he was slurred in speech and deemed him having no mental capacity. Police took no further action.
‘Four days later staff found Matthew hanging. The post mortem revealed no food in his stomach, only blood. GHB date rape drug in his system and four possible five needle wounds in his groin. Bruises on his legs. (To this day unaccounted for).
‘The pathologist said he could not confirm rape, due to the time body had had to heal. I asked to see the ligature he had been found hanging with. Weeks later, I was informed by a Police Officer that it had been destroyed in error.
‘Initially Matthew had been placed on 15 minute observations, but staff had reduced these observations to hourly without discussion with doctors. The last three days of Matthews life, all records of observations were missing and other documents after his death were falsified.
‘So many, many failings. One disaster after another.’
Melanie has been fighting for seven years for answers. This fight is now leading to her organising a petition to the UK Government to call for a Public Inquiry into Matthews’ death. Sign in support here:- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/255823
Please watch her moving video.
