Ashtons Legal supports family as Coroner investigates death of man who died at the Wedgewood Unit, Bury St Edmunds

An inquest opens on Wednesday (15 January) in Bury St Edmunds into the death of Joe Ruler, a young man who died aged 19 in August 2010 while a patient at the Wedgewood Unit run by Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust in Bury St Edmunds. Ashtons Legal medical injury specialist Sharon Allison will be representing Joe’s family.

Joe, who had moved to Suffolk comparatively recently, had been detained at the Wedgewood Unit in early August after demonstrating active suicidal tendencies. He remained there for just under three weeks, during which time he was diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. He was discharged from the Unit on 25th August but readmitted the following day having once again demonstrated suicidal tendencies. He died three days later while a patient on Southgate Ward.

Sharon Allison comments: “I will be attending the inquest on behalf of Joe’s family to assist the coroner with a view to establishing all the facts and circumstances surrounding Joe’s tragic death. It is devastating for anyone to lose a family member, but when the deceased is so young it is usually even more important to the family to understand fully whether everything that could have been done was done to prevent a tragic outcome.”