Coronial
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Inquest into the Death of Martin Carl QUITERIO

Deceased

Martin Carl Quiterio

Demographics

59y, male

Date of death

2024-01-03

Finding date

2026-05-27

Cause of death

Multiple injuries

AI-generated summary

Martin Carl Quiterio, a 59-year-old man with longstanding schizophrenia and suspected autism spectrum disorder, died on 3 January 2024 when he jumped from the 14th floor of a car park in West Perth. He had been discharged five days earlier on a Community Treatment Order following a 45-day hospital admission. On the morning of his death, after receiving a phone call about an upcoming CTO review, he visited the car park and contemplated suicide. His support coordinator and mental health case manager visited later that morning, conducted appropriate risk assessments, and found him future-focused with adequate safety planning. Hours later, he returned to the car park and jumped. The coroner found all risk assessments were adequate and care was appropriate. However, significant systemic gaps were identified: lack of public health autism diagnostic services and failure to communicate his discharge to family. Two recommendations address establishing a neuropsychiatric consultation service and carer support workers in mental health units.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Contributing factors

  • Longstanding schizophrenia
  • Suspected autism spectrum disorder
  • Recent psychiatric hospital discharge
  • Community Treatment Order in place
  • Expression of suicidal ideation on morning of death
  • Suicidal planning and contemplation
  • Access to means
  • Distress following phone call about CTO review
  • Poor compliance with oral antipsychotic medication
  • Death of father in 2021 with lasting impact
  • Lack of public health services for autism spectrum disorder assessment

Coroner's recommendations

  1. The Department of Health take all reasonable steps to expedite the feasibility study for, and (if considered feasible) the introduction of, a State-wide Neuropsychiatric Consultation Liaison Service, to provide consultation and support to clinicians concerning conditions including autism spectrum disorder, as well as training and resources in relation to the same (including by obtaining additional funding to the extent it is required).
  2. The Department of Health engage with all Health Service Providers (HSPs) with in-patient mental health units, regarding those HSPs employing carer support workers within those units, with the role of providing support to families and carers of patients.
Full text

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