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| Woman dived in path of Tube
train, inquest told |
Husband criticises doctors for
withdrawing support to academic
A TROUBLED academic with a history of suicide in her family
threw herself under a morning rush-hour Tube train at Finsbury Park
station, an inquest heard on Friday.
A jury at St Pancras Coroner’s Court was told how Dorian Jane
Yeo, 51, dived in front of an oncoming southbound Victoria line
train in January.
She died from multiple injuries after being airlifted to Royal London
Hospital in Whitechapel, where attempts to resuscitate her failed.
Mrs Yeo was a celebrated academic, the author of many books on learning
disorders dyslexia and dyspraxia. The Department for Education recommended
some of her titles for use by teachers and she co-founded a specialist
school in west London 11 years ago.
But when social and professional pressures became too much, she
sank into depression, complaining of low esteem and lack of self-confidence.
Doctors prescribed an anti-depressant but in December last year
Mrs Yeo took an overdose of the drug and was referred to a psychiatric
crisis team.
On January 14, the crisis team concluded Mrs Yeo was suffering from
“moderate depression,” and were about to reduce her medication
and scheduled visits.
But the next day, she woke up before her family and made the journey
from her home in Hornsey to Finsbury Park, leaving a suicide note.
Mrs Yeo’s husband, Dudley, said in court that psychiatrists
should have done more to save his wife’s life.
He said: “Suicide patients are at a very high risk when they
appear to be on the mend. Why did the team withdraw their support
at this critical point? Shouldn’t this statistic have been
taken into account?”
But Dr Shahid Afidi, of the Associate Specialist Crisis Team in
Crouch End, said: “Psychiatrists cannot read people’s
minds. She deluded all of us, including her family. Her actions
were so impulsive and unpredictable. There was absolutely no evidence
this was going to happen.”
Witness Joseph Kristanchi told the inquest that Mrs Yeo deliberately
dived in front of the train. He said: “I was very close to
going to speak to her, because she looked as if she might jump.
But I didn’t.
“When the train came she dived in front. She didn’t trip,
slip or fall, she jumped.”
Tube driver William Crowe, who was training another driver that
morning, said: “We saw the woman dive onto the tracks and stretch
out, with her hands grasping the live rail. I pulled the emergency
handle. The train stopped around four carriages into the station.”
Verdict: suicide. |
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