A teenager tragically died after collapsing at a bus shelter, having purchased a chemical substance online for just £10, an inquest has heard. Chelsea Olivia Blair, 19, was found in the early hours of the morning on February 19, 2020, in Seacroft, Leeds.
Despite efforts from police and paramedics to perform CPR, she sadly passed away at St James' Hospital.
The cause of death was determined to be due to a high concentration of a chemical compound in her bloodstream, the name of which has been withheld from this report. A jury was convened at Wakefield Coroner's Court on Monday to investigate the circumstances surrounding Chelsea's untimely death.
This is because she was detained under the Mental Health Act and resided at the Becklin Centre, a mental health facility in Leeds.
Evidence presented at the hearing revealed that Chelsea had a history of self-harm and overdoses. Her father, Paul, described his daughter as a 'bright and clever girl', who had battled with mental health issues since she was 15 years old, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Chelsea had been sectioned at the Becklin Centre for approximately a year, according to Paul, but was permitted home visits. He expressed his belief that Chelsea intended to take her own life, as evidenced by several notes she left behind.
He expressed: "She was always a bright and clever girl. She always thought she was not good enough - she was not happy with anything she did. I think taking her own life was the only way out for her. She is missed by all her family."
Chelsea got diagnosed with an Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, with multiple instances of self-harm, overdose incidents and poisonous substance ingestion leading to hospital treatment. She revealed to a health worker on the night prior to her death that she had hoarded items at her father's house.
The inquest uncovered that she stated having 'in mind' the date of February 20 for self-infliction. Additionally, Chelsea confessed about identifying a 'different way' of self-injury and that she had penned down 'suicide notes'.
A police exploration detected a £10 chemical which likely got delivered to Paul's house via PayPal few days before her demise. The online merchant had the chemical listed for sale for 'legitimate purpose', as per a detective's statement.
Barrister Laura Profumo, representing Chelsea's mother, posed several questions to forensic toxicologist Dr Paul Smith. Mr Smith confirmed that Chelsea's passing was one amongst the earliest instances related to the said substance.
However, from 2020 onwards, there has been an increase in the number of deaths and by 2020 there was 20 cases, possibly as a result of information published on online 'suicide forums'. The hearing was told that Chelsea had regularly gone missing from the Becklin Centre.
