Nurse's 'regret' after mentally ill Michael Bryn Jones walked away from hospital and was later found dead

A psychiatric nurse at a mental health unit today told an inquest he “regretted” not telling nearby A&E staff a patient – who was later found hanged in woodland – was on his way over to see them.

The hearing at Caernarfon, was told how Michael Bryn Jones had taken the final bus of the evening on April 2 last year from his Llandudno home to the Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd where he asked to see a doctor.

He was referred at 12.54am by Hergest Hergest Unit Robat Wheldon Hughes to the hospital’s emergency department, but left minutes after arriving at 1.23am without seeing anyone. He was captured on CCTV leaving the hospital grounds two hours later.

The 38-year-old was reported missing and following an extensive search was discovered hanged in woods at Caerhun, Bangor, on June 21.

Mr Hughes, the unit’s senior nurse, told how on the evening in question the unit was full and fully staffed despite a senior house officer going home unwell.

He told how a porter had called to say a man was at the unit’s front door wanting to speak to somebody, so he went outside and spoke to Mr Jones who asked to see a doctor.

Mr Hughes said: “I invited him to come in and informed him that we didn’t have a doctor at the time but he wasn’t keen on that. He said he preferred to see the doctor.”

Mr Hughes said he didn’t know Mr Jones and was not aware he had previously been a patient at Hergest, or that he had seen a psychiatric consultant at Ysbyty Gwynedd after taking an overdose of tablets, attempted self-harming and having suicidal thoughts.

Mr Hughes said: “I had no information. I wished I had asked him more questions. The way he was presenting to me, he was relaxed and had good eye contact.”

Mr Hughes said if he would have had concerns about Mr Jones he would not have hesitated to contact the on-call psychiatric consultant.

Michael Bryn Jones’ mother pays tribute to ‘kind and gentle son’ after body found in Bangor woods

Questioned by North Wales assistant coroner Nicola Jones, Mr Hughes said he had not asked Mr Jones if he was having treatment as a patient or whether he was on medication.

Mr Hughes said: “I should have asked that question myself.”

He added if he would have had access to Mr Jones’ records, he would have checked them.

Asked by the family’s barrister Chaynee Hodgetts why nobody accompanied Mr Jones the few hundred of yards from the unit to the hospital’s A&E department Mr Hughes replied: “I do regret not contacting A&E to say that somebody may present.

“It’s been something I have thought a lot about.”

The hearing continues.