Deceased
Tomislav Brekalo
Demographics
29y, male
Date of death
2012-03-17
Finding date
2015-04-09
Cause of death
Injuries sustained in a fall from a height
AI-generated summary
A 29-year-old man with chronic paranoid schizophrenia died from injuries sustained after jumping from the EJ Whitten Bridge. He had a 5-year history of psychiatric illness with recurrent psychotic episodes despite treatment with antipsychotic medications including olanzapine. In the months before death, his mental health deteriorated significantly; he lost employment and repeatedly refused medication reviews. His psychiatrist had trialled multiple antipsychotics but found olanzapine most effective, though the patient complained of sedation. Just prior to death, medication was being switched again. This case highlights how inadequately managed chronic schizophrenia with poor insight, repeated medication non-compliance, and loss of employment support can contribute to suicide risk. The coroner identified the EJ Whitten Bridge as a suicide hotspot and made recommendations for safety barriers, noting that evidence-based suicide prevention requires physical barriers to prevent access.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Drugs involved
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