A coroner has criticised the care an autistic man received before he fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Spain.
Jamie Cole, 25, from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, was on holiday in Tenerife in January 2023 with his carer Lousha Rees, when the pair had a an argument at a restaurant.
Following the row Ms Rees texted Jamie to say she was unwilling to support him when he was ‘acting like a 12-year-old’.
Later that evening Jamie sent a text message to a manager at her workplace saying ‘I’m going to jump now’.
He died after jumping from the fifth storey balcony of his hotel room, an inquest heard.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Avon Coroner’s Court heard Mr Cole, who was autistic and had a history of suicidal ideation, had been accompanied on the holiday by Ms Rees, who was employed by the private care company Lifestyle (also known as Accomplish).
Area coroner Dr Peter Harrowing said Ms Rees had behaved ‘inappropriately’ prior to his death but did not believe there had been gross misconduct.
On the evening of January 14, 2023, the two had met to go for dinner at a restaurant, where he became upset because Ms Rees wanted the ‘most expensive meal’ on the menu, which he said he was not prepared to pay for.
The inquest heard that Mr Cole left the restaurant, before Ms Rees texted him saying she was unwilling to support him when he was ‘acting like a 12-year-old’ and describing him as having been ‘totally inappropriate’.
She told the court in a written statement that Mr Cole had been addressing her as his girlfriend at the restaurant, which had made her uncomfortable.
The court heard Ms Rees knocked on Mr Cole’s hotel room door later that evening and he told her he was ‘fine’.
Following his death, Mr Cole’s mother, Martine, discovered the final message he sent to a manager from the care company, Laura Warrant.
He said: ‘I’m going to jump now, you can tell everyone I love them, especially my Mum.’
The inquest heard Ms Warrant had responded by telling him to ‘stop being silly’ and advising him to ‘get some rest’.
Mr Cole was found dead that evening, having suffered multiple injuries consistent with a fall from his fifth-floor balcony.
Ms Rees did not know Mr Cole had died until the following morning, when the hotel manager informed her there had been an ‘awful accident’ the previous night.
Area coroner Dr Peter Harrowing said: ‘His family tell me he led an active life and was independent with support…
‘He was an extremely anxious young man and would need a lot of reassurance throughout his daily life.
‘His moods would change quickly and he did have a history of suicidal ideation.’
He added: ‘I do not consider there was a real or immediate risk to Jamie’s life that was known or should have been known to Lifestyle.
‘Whilst I find on the face of it why there was no reason why he should not go on holiday to Tenerife accompanied by the support worker I do find that the risk assessment process was deficient.
‘The policy of Lifestyle was not followed, it was completed at short notice… Nor did it properly consider all of Jamie’s underlying mental health conditions.’
Dr Harrowing said he found Ms Rees’s response to Jamie, especially in the restaurant, ‘inappropriate’.
‘I find also the response of Laura Warrant in her contact with Jamie probably served to aggravate the situation,’ he added.
However, the coroner said he did not believe there had been ‘gross failures’.
Dr Harrowing added that Mr Cole’s ‘intention’ in jumping from the balcony ‘has not been established’.
The court heard Lifestyle has since implemented an improvement plan and Dr Harrowing said he was ‘satisfied’ the company had ‘addressed the issues raised in this matter’.
In a statement read by her solicitors, Leigh Day, Martine Cole said: ‘My Jamie was the most joyful, bubbly person you could know.
‘He was open and honest, loving and kind, he was a precious, most loved member of our family.
‘His autism meant he could easily become upset but the triggers that presented a risk to his wellbeing were well documented and well known to those who supported him.
‘I’m grateful to the coroner for taking two days to examine what happened to Jamie before he lost his life when he was on holiday in Tenerife in the company of a carer.
‘However, I will never fully understand how my son went on holiday, happy and healthy, but never came home.
‘I can only hope that the inquest into Jamie’s death has reminded care companies of their very grave responsibility towards those individuals they chaperone and to also take huge care over support plans and risk assessments.
‘We have lost our precious Jamie forever but I believe he should still be with us.’
Samaritans are here to listen, day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email [email protected] or visit samaritans.org for more information.
