THE grieving parents of schizophrenic Daniel Cooke, who died after being restrained at a York psychiatric unit, called today for more money to be spent on combating the illness.

An inquest jury yesterday returned an open verdict into the death of the 26-year-old student from Easingwold, who died at the Westerdale low security psychiatric unit, at Clifton Hospital, last April.

Daniel, who believed the Devil told him to stop breathing, died after ceasing breathing while being restrained by nursing staff following violent incidents.

But there were no significant signs of injury on his body, there was no evidence that he had been asphyxiated and no suggestion that staff had used inappropriate techniques, the inquest at York's Guildhall heard.

His parents, Peter and Deanna, later said they wanted to campaign for a greater understanding of his mental illness, which could strike at the most intelligent and artistic person.

The couple, of Back Lane, Easingwold, called for more money to be spent nationally on finding the causes of, and hopefully a remedy for, schizophrenia.

Coroner Donald Coverdale said Daniel's carers had noticed an increasing and "alarming" tendency for him to hold his breath for up to 30 seconds.

But he said jurors could not return a verdict of suicide because there was not the slightest evidence that he had actually intended to end his life.

A consultant psychiatrist, Dr James Isherwood, had earlier given evidence that Daniel had repeatedly tried to harm himself and that he believed he was receiving instructions from the Devil that he should not breathe.

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