Son who took his life 'failed' after leaving court

The mother of a man who took his own life hours after being convicted of drink driving said "more should have been done" to keep him safe after he left court.

Noel Porter from Woodbridge was found dead in a car park in Ipswich on 22 November 2023 – a day after admitting drink driving at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.

After being handed a fine and banned from driving, the 25-year-old welder was released from custody before taking his own life hours later.

Speaking after a jury at his inquest at Suffolk Coroner's Court concluded he died by suicide, Noel's mother, Pamela Porter, said her son had been let down.

"We are disappointed that more steps were not taken to support Noel following his court hearing," she told reporters, alongside Noel's father, Graham Porter.

"Our hope from this inquest is that the findings can lead to improvements being made to help stop this from happening to anybody else."

The jury heard how Noel had been arrested for drink driving on November 19 after being pulled over on the A134 between Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds.

Police bodycam footage played in court showed Noel as calm and compliant with the arresting officer who described him as being "good as gold".

In the clip he could be heard telling him that he had been drinking but did not expect to be over the limit, before disclosing that he had been having suicidal feelings.

After being taken to a police station, a decision was made to keep him in custody until his court appearance over concerns he might harm himself beforehand.

Two days later, he was taken to court by prisoner escort service, Serco, where he was handed a driving ban before being released. He took his own life in a car park.

The inquest heard that Noel had a history of mental health issues and suicide attempts and he had been "particularly unwell in the six months before his death".

Despite this, jurors ruled that after his arrest his mental health risks were "insufficiently" shared between Suffolk Police, Liaison and Diversion, Serco and Turning Point.

While they acknowledged this did not contribute to his death, they said that better communication may have provided "a last opportunity" to help him.

"Noel expressed his distressed emotional state to police officers and it was clear he was at risk of harming himself on release," added Pamela.

"We feel more should have been done to properly share information about Noel's mental wellbeing.

"This should have promoted further assessment and care which we think should have led to more support being in place for Noel."

This was echoed by Leigh Day solicitors Yvonne Kestler and Charlotte Baldwin, who represented the family during the inquest.

"The possibility of him taking his own life had been acknowledged by police officers following his arrest," they said.

"Noel's family cannot understand why this was not communicated and why it did not lead to further support being available for him.

"The jury's findings reflect the gaps in communication between some staff and agencies, which Noel's family hope can be improved in light of this conclusion."

After the hearing, Pamela paid tribute to her son, describing him as a "hard-working person" who would always "do his best for those close to him".

"He loved working with his hands and had been recognised for his talent in metalwork," she added.

"Noel was an integral part of our family's lives, and things will never be the same without him."

Assistant coroner for Suffolk, Peter Taheri, said Noel's family had conducted themselves with "admirable dignity and grace" throughout the inquest.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss - it's not easy to deal with the loss of a loved one, or the legal process, but I thank you for the respect you have shown," he said.

"I hope the inquest has provided you with some assistance and comfort as you continue to remember Noel. I have no doubt you have done Noel proud."

Serco said its thoughts remain with Noel's family and it was "reviewing the inquest's findings and any recommendations relating to his death".

Suffolk Police, Turning Point, and the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust were contacted for comment.

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