Lois Hepworth of Watson Woodhouse Solicitors represented the family of Donna Levin at the inquest into her death, which concluded on 29 July 2025 at Teesside Coroner’s Court before Senior Coroner Clare Bailey.
Donna Levin, a much loved 54-year-old mother of three and former special needs teacher from Stockton-on-Tees, was admitted to Bransdale Ward, Roseberry Park Hospital on 28 December 2019 under the care of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust. She had been struggling with her mental health since August 2019 and was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, including repeated suicidal thoughts.
On the 8th of January 2020, Donna Levin passed away following a mental health battle. Days prior, Donna was found unresponsive in her room at Roseberry Park Hospital despite her being on hourly observations from staff. The inquest heard that one check, at 5 am was not conducted.
A Life Lost Too Soon
Donna’s husband described her as “always full of joy and was the life and soul of most family and social occasions, full of fun and happy to have a go at anything. She was a dedicated, hardworking, passionate teacher of children with special educational needs.” He told the inquest that she was a very friendly, outgoing person with a bubbly and vivacious personality.
Outcome of the Inquest
The inquest heard extensive evidence over several days, examining the care Donna received in the lead-up to her death. The jury concluded that Donna Levin died from “suicide due to suffering from mental illness” and found a series of ‘short comings’ in her care.
Despite Donna expressing suicidal thoughts and making previous attempts to take her life, the inquest found her medical notes were not updated to reflect this apparent escalating risk to herself. This resulted in a lack of comprehensive records. The family felt their concerns raised including issues with sleep, ineffective medication, and staff interactions, were not fully acted upon by staff.
The jury also heard that she had been found off the ward with a potential ligature, attempted to call relatives to say goodbye on the evening of 3January. The inquest further heard that Donna expressed a desire to leave the ward and end her life in the early hours of the morning on 4 January. This resulted in Donna being detained on the ward under the Mental Health Act, but her observations remained hourly. An on-call doctor was notified of Donna’s detention but was advised his attendance was not required urgently, and it would be sufficient for him to attend later in the morning.
The jury determined that insufficient information sharing between staff members meant Donna’s risk to self was not accurately considered. They identified several missed opportunities in Donna’s care and treatment, including the option to have had Donna assessed by a doctor earlier.
Lois Hepworth, representing Donna’s family, stated “Donna’s case is tragic, and I am grateful to the jury for their due diligence and for highlighting clear areas of required improvement. Unfortunately, the issues identified in Donna’s care are not unique and simply further push the need for a public inquiry in TEWV.”
Support Is Available
If the subject matter of this article or story has affected you in any way, then please know that support is available. When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. Suicide and self-harm are preventable, and support is available.
Contact Us
If you require support following the death of a loved one, please contact the Inquest team. Call us for a free and confidential consultation with a specialist solicitor on 01642 247656. Alternatively, complete our online contact form and one of our solicitors will be in touch.
In The Media
Family of Stockton teacher Donna Levin release statement after inquest
Family’s ‘painful clarity after clear shortcomings’ in bubbly mum’s care at Roseberry Park Hospital
Jury retire in inquest into ‘full of joy’ teacher allegedly failed by Roseberry Park Hospital
Staff missed check on mum at Roseberry Park Hospital before tragedy