RELATIVES of the woman who died after falling from the top of the Freshney Place car park just after Christmas have demanded a more thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to her death.
An inquest into the death of Michelle McCann, 42, from Cleethorpes, was dramatically adjourned yesterday after relatives succeeded in their 11th-hour appeal to have more independent expert opinion on mental health care heard.
At the hearing at Cleethorpes Town Hall, Paul Kelly, coroner for Grimsby and North Lincolnshire, said he sympathised with Miss McCann's family's wish for answers. Mr Kelly said: "The case has now got to a stage where the family need closure. I am determined to bring that about."
The adjournment could bring the case close to the first anniversary of the tragedy when Miss McCann fell from the top of the western car park of Freshney Place on December 27. She died from multiple injuries in Hull Royal Infirmary on New Year's Day.
Representing Miss McCann's family, barrister James Robottom said the allocated four hours for the hearing would not be long enough to have a full examination of the facts in the case.
He wanted more independent expert opinion on the level of care provided to Miss McCann, who was an "informal patient" at Grimsby's Harrison House.
Mr Robottom said the family would like to have a jury inquest to assess the level of mental health care provided for Miss McCann.
Mr Robottom claimed there had not been a risk management plan for Miss McCann after December 14.
He said: "She was agitated after she came back after Christmas Day."
Calling for a more in-depth investigation, Mr Robottom said: "We are not able to look into systemic issues."
He added: "There is an investigative duty to see if there were faults in the system, if there were any. That would be impossible without the evidence of an independent expert."
Staff treating patients at Harrison House had been called to the inquest, including Dr Aamer Sajjad and staff nurse Susan Brannon.
Representing mental health trust, Navigo, Adam Hartrick said Miss McCann was not detained by the state nor had she been sectioned under The Mental Health Act.
He said: "She was in hospital as an informal patient."
Mr Kelly set out a timetable for further submissions from the respective legal teams.
Miss McCann's family declined to comment after the hearing.
Following the tragedy, they thanked emergency services who treated her and described them and the hospital medical team as "fantastic".
The area, busy with post-Christmas sales shoppers at the time, was cordoned off while investigations were carried out.
Humberside Fire And Rescue Service had been called to the home of Miss McCann in Charles Street, Cleethorpes, two weeks prior to the tragedy when a fire broke out in the kitchen of her home.
The 42-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and later at hospital.
Fire investigators found the cause was accidental.
