Grenfell hero found hanged in Cardiff hotel after police visit
- Published
Dr Deborah Lamont was awarded the British Red Cross's highest honour for her work at Grenfell Tower
A Grenfell Tower hero could have been taken from a hotel hours before she killed herself there, an inquest heard.
British Red Cross worker Dr Deborah Lamont, 44, was interrupted in her room by police during an earlier attempt on her life.
A police officer decided he was powerless to detain the doctor, deeming she was "living" there.
Coroner Graeme Hughes called this interpretation of the Mental Health Act "probably erroneous".
He issued a report asking police to consider whether hotel rooms should be classed as homes for occupants, where people cannot be sectioned.
He told the Pontypridd inquest: "In my judgment, it could not be said that in booking into a hotel room for one night that she was living in that room", adding that he believed the officer "did have power to detain her that night".
He called the officer's interpretation "a continuing concern" because he said "he would still interpret Section 136 in the same way".
The coroner gave a conclusion of suicide, and said he would send a report to the College of Policing to consider future interpretations of hotel rooms as homes.
On Thursday the court heard Dr Lamont, of Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, had struggled with depression and anxiety for decades.
She was found dead in a hotel room after police attended for the second time in an evening
The university lecturer was awarded the Henry Dunant Medal, the highest honour the Red Cross gives members, after joining the emergency response team for the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
Red Cross colleague Jim Rees, who was in a short-term relationship with Dr Lamont, told South Wales Central Coroner's Court he called 999 after receiving a series of worrying texts from her on the afternoon before her death, on March 28 last year.
When the two police officers arrived at Dr Lamont's room at Cardiff's Village Hotel at about 18:15 GMT they saw evidence of a hanging attempt.
However, it was agreed she was not in immediate need of care and she was left alone at about 20:00.
About three hours later, staff became concerned when Dr Lamont did not answer her door.
After the hearing, Dr Lamont's father Roger said: "She should have been sectioned."