Richardson, Mathew
Deceased
Mathew Richardson
Demographics
45y, male
Date of death
2013-10-26
Finding date
2014-11-26
Cause of death
Multiple injuries due to fall from height
AI-generated summary
Mathew Richardson, a 45-year-old man with untreated antisocial personality disorder living in remote Queensland, died by suicide during a police arrest attempt. After failing to appear in court on charges involving alleged child sexual abuse and stalking, SERT was deployed based on intelligence suggesting he possessed a shotgun and posed a threat. When confronted, Richardson ran towards a pre-prepared noose suspended over a cliff, placed it around his neck and jumped. The chain failed and he fell to his death. The coroner found SERT deployment was justified and tactically sound. Richardson's writings indicated premeditated suicide regardless of arrest method. No clinical errors were identified; the death appears to have been an inevitable consequence of Richardson's mental illness and predetermined suicide plan triggered by police confrontation.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Contributing factors
- untreated antisocial personality disorder
- pre-meditated suicide planning
- police confrontation during arrest attempt
- remote location limiting access to mental health support
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