'Our son died after he should have been sectioned'

A coroner has raised concerns over the care of a man who died hours after mental health clinicians decided not to section him.

James Cochrane died at about 21:00 GMT on 17 November 2023 on the M1, near Shepshed in Leicestershire.

James had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and was in the care of the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

His parents, Phil and Deborah, had recorded a video of him "shaking and rocking" during a psychotic episode on the day of his death, and told the BBC they had been desperate for him to be sectioned.

An inquest into James's death, which concluded on Wednesday, heard trust nurses came to assess the 36-year-old at his parents' home at about 16:00, and decided not to refer him for an assessment to be detained under the Mental Health Act.

Assistant coroner for North Leicestershire and Rutland, Rebecca Connell, said she was concerned about a decision to leave James with his parents over the weekend while increasing his dose of anti-psychotic medication and drugs to help him sleep.

Mrs Connell said she would be preparing a prevention of future deaths report, external detailing concerns after the two-day inquest at County Hall in Glenfield.

The NHS trust said lessons had been learned following a review carried out after James's death.

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Source: BBC News, 28 August 2025