THE inquest into the death of a man found hanged in his room at a mental health trust just eight days after he was transferred from prison began yesterday.

Chelmsford Coroners Court heard that Christopher John Robert Nevard, 32 was found hanged inside his room at Brockfield House in Kemble Way, Runwell on December 23 last year.

Nursing staff from the trust found him unconscious in his room at 1.04pm, and paramedics and the Essex Air Ambulance were immediately called.

But after failing to resuscitate Mr Nevard, he was pronounced dead at 2.04pm.

Mr Nevard had been transferred to Brockfield from Norwich Prison on December 15 after he had assaulted another inmate.

He was visited on November 28 by Dr David Baird, a psychiatrist with the Essex Partnership University NHS Trust.

Dr Baird said: “Christopher talked about hearing voices, he was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic and he had addictions to cannabis and alcohol.”

Mr Nevard was moved into the Alpine Ward at Brockfields where he spent time under the watch of two nurses simultaneously.

This level of care was then lessened, with Mr Nevard being checked on at 15-minute intervals by members of staff as he had shown no signs of being a threat to other patients or to himself.

Dr Martin Keith Laker, a psychiatrist who ran another ward at Brockfields, assessed Mr Nevard in the days leading up to his death.

He said: “He was socialising with other patients in the wards, he was eating and drinking normally too. Although he said ‘voices’ were still in his head, he said he was not listening to them.”

Det Insp Gary Biddle from Essex Police said that the checks on Mr Nevard were regular but eight minutes after he had previously been checked on, he was found hanged.

Mr Biddle said: “When Christopher was found, his body was blocking the entrance to the inward opening door of his room.”

Mr Nevard’s door was not locked as part of his security level. However Mr Biddle does not believe that the death was suspicious. He said: “The view of Essex Police is that there is no evidence of third party involvement .”

The inquest is continuing today.