AN INQUEST has failed to decide what caused the acute liver and kidney failure that killed a mentally ill man.
Javid Ali, 44, of The Herons, Wanstead, died on September 20, 2008, at a specialist liver department in Hampstead after being transferred from Goodmayes Hospital where he was an inpatient.
The father of three, who had recently tried to hang himself after been threatened with eviction from his family home, had suffered with mental illness most of his life since being systematically abused as a child.
Mr Ali was also awaiting two court dates following countless brushes with the law, including one where the fire brigade and a helicopter were deployed when he refused to come down from the hospital roof.
After being admitted to A&E on September 20, Mr Ali was treated for a paracetamol overdose when his heart rate became dangerously high, his eyes became bruised and bloodshot and he failed to pass urine for two days.
At the time of diagnosis any trace of the paracetamol would have already left his system, but Mr Ali, who had a long history of self harm, including a previous overdose at Goodmayes, denied taking the drugs.
Mr Ali's three sisters who attended the hearing, criticised Goodmayes Hospital for not keeping a close enough eye on their brother, saying: "Because of how he was in the past, we feel he should have been better cared for by the hospital and looked after more."
They were also critical of Mr Ali's psychiatrist Dr Henok Getachew, who discontinued a course of drugs that were previously prescribed by Mr Ali's GP, Dr Pradeep Sharma.
Dr Sharma, who treated Mr Ali at the Wanstead Place Surgery, told the inquest at Walthamstow Coroners Court:"At times he was extremely happy and he came in laughing, especially when talking about his kids and his girlfriend.
"But in later years they split up and he didn't see his children as much as he wanted."
He added: "He wasn't an alcoholic but on three or four occasions I had to kick him out of the surgery because he came in drunk.
"Another time I had to call the police after he barricaded himself in a treatment room and became loud and threatening."
Coroner Elizabeth Stern recorded an open verdict and said it was impossible to tell whether the organ failure was caused by a paracetamol overdose, disease or Mr Ali's long-running drug and alcohol abuse.
She said: "He had an outgoing, very appealing personality and certainly a very nice looking man, and I appreciate that he had so much promise which must make it terribly hard for the family.
"His children wanted to live with him and his sisters are obviously devoted to him and I think that speaks volumes about his personality.
"The evidence and circumstances don't fully explain how he came about his death."
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