Inquest records St Albans schoolgirl took her own life (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Inquest records St Albans schoolgirl took her own life

A St Albans schoolgirl with a history of paranoia and anxiety took her own life, an inquest ruled today.

Francesca Spelzini, 18, died three days after she attempted to commit suicide at her home in Parklands Drive, St Albans, on June 30 this year. The St Albans Girls School pupil, known to family and friends as Fran, was rushed to Watford General Hospital on June 27 where she remained critically ill for three days but then died.

An inquest at Hatfield Coroner's Court today revealed Francesca, a keen sportswoman, had a history of mental illness, which never required medication, and had attempted to self harm in the past.

Giving evidence at the hearing this afternoon, Francesca's GP Mark Bevis, of the Lodge and Highfield surgeries in St Albans, said Francesca had first visited him in 2007 where she showed signs of an acute psychotic episode.

Francesca, who refused to discuss her mental state with anyone other than her GP, told him she felt like she was a character in the Truman Show.

She explained that she felt paranoid about people watching her and was convinced cameras were following her every move.

Dr Bevis said: "She even looked around my room because she thought cameras were observing her. She was concerned that she was being watched.

"This was a fixed illusion and I couldn't shake her from this belief."

He described her delusional thinking as "rich and fantastical".

He said she never appeared low or depressed, but he said Francesca admitted to him that she was anxious about achieving academically and held aspirations to go to Oxford or Cambridge University.

Dr Bevis referred Francesca to a specialist mental health team, but after one visit she refused to see anyone other than him.

Dr Bevis said he did not believe there was a compulsory need for specialist help at this stage as Francesca had insisted she was feeling better and her family agreed she should continue to be monitored by the GP.

Dr Bevis said he tried to persuade Francesca to visit a psychiatrist again when she made another appointment with him in October 2008 where she again demonstrated similar psychotic behaviour.

His suggestions of specialist help were once again declined.

Francesca spent a period in Albany Lodge after she was spotted with a rope outside her home later that month. Jacqui Shea, of St Albans Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT), told the hearing that Francesca displayed no signs of mental illness throughout her rehabilitation at Albany Lodge and she was discharged.

The hearing also heard that just five weeks before Francesca's death her mother raised concerns with St Albans CATT team and Dr Bevis after she discovered a rope in her daughter's bag. Again specialist intervention was refused by the teen.

Francesca attempted the suicide bid while her family were out. She was studying for her A-level exams at the time. When her father, Paul Spelzini, who attended today's inquest, returned to the family home he noticed a kitchen stool was missing, and went upstairs to see Francesca's bedroom was locked. Firefighters were forced to break into the teenager's room where she was discovered. Fire officers and a fast response paramedic attempted CPR at the scene.

Mr Spelzini told the hearing his daughter's disposition suddenly changed in the week leading up to her death. "In the same week she suddenly changed and became quite angry," he said. "We couldn't understand what was going on. She was like a different person within three days."

Recording that Francesca took her own life, Mr Thomas said: "It's difficult to know why she did it, but she clearly intended to take her own life because she locked the room.

"There was no way anyone could have got in at a time when she knew nobody was going to be in the house.

"She took her own life while the balance of her mind was disturbed."