SAINT JOHN, N.B. – A coroner’s inquest jury says a psychiatric patient at a hospital in Saint John died from asphyxia due to strangulation as the result of homicide.
Serena Perry was found with a housecoat around her neck and unresponsive in the amphitheatre of the Saint John Regional Hospital on Feb. 14, 2012.
The five-member jury deliberated for four hours after hearing more than two weeks of testimony.
A male patient was arrested by Saint John police after Perry’s death, but later released without being charged.
The 22-year-old Perry was an involuntary patient at the hospital’s psychiatric unit and had paranoid schizophrenia.
Pathologists were not able to confirm Perry’s cause of death, but the probable cause was deemed to be asphyxia as a result of neck compression.
The jury also issued recommendations, including a call for the province to bring in community treatment orders.
It also wants specialized training for security staff, spot checks of patients, and better contacts for patients, including cell numbers of caregivers and family members.
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