STUDENT Daniel Cooke suffered from schizophrenic delusions in which he believed he was being told by the Devil to stop breathing, an inquest heard.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr James Isherwood said Daniel, 26, from Back Lane, Easingwold, had repeatedly tried to harm himself during psychotic 'episodes'.

His behaviour ranged from holding his breath to pushing his fingers up his nose, submersing his head in water and wrapping sheets around his neck. In one incident he had tried to jump off a bridge, Dr Isherwood said.

He told the inquest at York Guildhall that Daniel, who was 'strongly religious', had talked about being 'abandoned by God'.

He said: "He believed he was receiving instructions from the Devil and that he should not breathe." The inquest heard that Daniel died on April 1, last year, after twice being restrained by staff at the Westerdale low security psychiatric unit at Clifton Hospital, York.

He had been in and out of mental institutions since being taken ill while a student at Hull University in 1991, and had been due to be transferred to a regional secure unit at Wakefield, but there were no beds available.

Coroner Donald Coverdale told jurors there had been 'a number of incidents, violent incidents', on the ward on March 31. Daniel had been 'evidently rather more disturbed than usual'.

At about 1am the next day he had to be restrained and held face down on his bed by two male nurses holding his arms and two female nurses holding his legs, while they gave a sedative. But later at about 5am, he came around again and had to be restrained for a second time. Staff noticed while they were holding him down on his bed again that he had stopped breathing.

Mr Coverdale told the jury: "Daniel had in the past displayed the habit of holding his breath. There came a point at which he was being held down when it was noticed his breathing had ceased."

Health care assistant Colin Rogers, who was helping staff nurse Brian Cottingham to restrain Daniel, said: "We immediately turned him over on to his back. I went to get oxygen while another nurse called for an ambulance."

Daniel was given heart massage and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but he was pronounced dead at about 6am.

Forensic pathologist Michael Green said he was unable to precisely ascertain the cause of death. But he said there was nothing to indicate staff had used inappropriate forms of restraint, and in particular nothing to show they had held him by the throat.

Daniel had had a history of epileptic-style seizures, Prof Green said.

The hearing continues.

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