A National Health Service trust has been ordered to pay more than three-quarters of a million pounds and a ward manager has been given a suspended prison sentence after a jury found they failed to prevent the death of a young patient.
A Tragic Loss and a Legal Battle
Alice Figueiredo was just 22 years old when she took her own life in July 2015 while a patient at Goodmayes Hospital in London, a secure mental health facility run by the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT).
Earlier this year, following one of the longest jury deliberations in English legal history, the trust and ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa were found guilty of health and safety failings directly linked to her death.
Sentencing and Financial Penalties
At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the court imposed significant penalties. NELFT was fined £565,000 for the health and safety breach and was also ordered to pay £200,000 in costs.
Benjamin Aninakwa, 54, from Grays in Essex, received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work.
A Family's Relentless Pursuit of Justice
In a powerful victim impact statement, Alice's mother, Jane Figueiredo, described the profound impact of her daughter's death. She said her family had endured a "relentless, uphill slog pursuing justice, accountability and truth".
Ms Figueiredo, who previously worked as a hospital chaplain for the same trust, accused NELFT of treating the family with "dismissive contempt, belittling and playing down" their well-founded concerns about Alice's care in 2015.
She poignantly described her daughter as a "uniquely beautiful, brave, affectionate, generous, kind, colourful, creative and luminous spirit" and stated that the impact of her "untimely, preventable death" had been immeasurable. The tragedy was so profound that Ms Figueiredo was unable to return to the job she loved due to the "catastrophic way they failed Alice".
Judicial Condemnation
Judge Richard Marks KC echoed the family's sentiments, describing Alice as a "beautiful vibrant young woman" who was "hugely talented" with an "extremely attractive personality".
He concluded that "Her death at such a young age in the circumstances in which it occurred is a terrible tragedy."
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.
