Hove woman arrested at Brighton Marina cliff in 'mental health crisis'

Rachel Garrett had been arrested by police after she was found at the cliff edge at Brighton Marina on July 17, 2020.

She had already been to the cliff edge three times that month. 

The 22-year-old was pinned to the ground by officers and members of the public who feared she was going to fall.

Rachel, from Hove, was arrested for assaulting a mental health nurse.

She was taken into custody and it was decided that she needed to be kept under constant watch for her safety, a decision made by the custody sergeant.

Rachel, described as the “joyful, beating heart” of her family, returned and fell from the cliff at Brighton Marina on July 29, 2020.

An inquest at Leonardo Hotel in Stroudley Road, Brighton, heard that Rachel had visited the cliffs frequently before her death.

Giving evidence at the inquest yesterday, Dylan Wright, a clinical nurse specialist who works with people with mental health problems detained by police, explained his interaction with Rachel at Brighton Police Station on July 18.

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He said: “I approached Rachel when she was in the cell.

“She was engaging with me, at times appeared bemused. Her eye contact was poor but she did not appear to lack capacity.

“She told me she had been to the cliffs many times before. On reflection she regretted going to the cliffs in this instance, but said she felt going again in the future may be a possibility.”

Mr Wright agreed with Rachel that she would be referred to the crisis team, but decided not to refer her to the mental health assessment team, who would then decide if she would be sectioned.

Rachel was remanded into custody and it was decided that she would be kept under constant watch, and would not be granted bail as she had “nowhere to go” because ger parents felt unable to care for her at home.

Mr Wright said: “If he had known she had nowhere to go I would have reassessed the situation.”

Family lawyer Emma Favata asked Mr Wright if he was aware that she was at real, significant risk of suicide, which he confirmed.

“Yes, but I believe the risk fluctuated,” he said.

The following day, Mr Wright saw Rachel Garrett in the cells at Brighton Magistrates' Court.

He said he believed her condition had deteriorated, and requested a Mental Health Act assessment be carried out to determine whether she required sectioning.

She was not sectioned and remained in police custody.

A Sussex Police spokesman previously said the force were fully supporting the coronial process.

The inquest, overseen by senior coroner Penelope Schofield, continues and is planned to go on into next month.