Anna Kerrigan, the sister of Paul Gascoigne and mother of Jay Kerrigan, arrives at Gateshead Coroner’s Court this morning
Paul Gascoigne’s nephew overdosed on a cocktail of drugs after battling mental health problems from the age of 12, an inquest heard today.
Jay Kerrigan, also known as Jay Gascoigne, was aged just 22 when he was found dead at his girlfriend’s flat in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.
South Tyneside Coroner’s Court heard how Mr Kerrigan, who had addiction and mental health problems, overdosed on a cocktail of both illegal and prescribed drugs on April 30, 2016.
Mr Kerrigan’s mother Anna Kerrigan told Coroner Terence Carney how he suffered from a catalogue of mental health problems throughout his short life.
Ms Kerrigan, who is former England footballer Gascoigne’s sister, said: ‘It is really difficult to sort and pinpoint when I thought Jay had mental health issues until he was admitted into hospital.
‘He was around 12 years old. He had anorexia, and then the constant crying, depression and the OCD.
‘While he was in hospital when he was first allowed out of bed to go to the toilet on his own he would take two steps then one step back.
Jay Kerrigan, pictured with sister Harley in Portugal in 2013, died in April 2016 aged 22
‘We thought it was odd but did not identify it as OCD. He got a psychiatrist as the depression was more obvious than the OCD.
‘He was constantly tidying, dismantling things and putting them in order. Everything in his bedroom that he could dismantle he would.
‘He would shout at me to come up with a tape measure to measure how far his dressing table was from the wall.
‘He used to break down and cry and curl up in a ball and did not want to do it but could not stop doing it. It caused him massive distress.’
She also explained how her son suffered from intrusive thoughts and compulsions – and heard voices in his head.
Paul Gascoigne (centre) carries the coffin at Mr Kerrigan’s funeral in Gateshead in May 2016
The court heard how Mr Kerrigan was speaking to Gateshead Evolve – a drug and alcohol service funded by the council.
Ms Kerrigan said: ‘I was speaking to Evolve who told me that the problems were mental health but mental health were saying they could not help him until he was clean.
‘I just felt disheartened. I did all of Jay’s referrals and everything.’
Describing the ten days leading up to his death, Ms Kerrigan added: ‘He seemed to be really broken. Every day he was going further down.
‘He was depressed. He was talking about feeling cracked and broken.’
Mr Kerrigan, pictured with his mother Anna, suffered from mental health and OCD issues
Pathologist Dr Anthony Cross, from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, told the court how Mr Kerrigan had alcohol and various drugs in his system at the time of his death.
He said that he believed the cause of his death was cardio-respiratory depression – with his heart losing the ability to pump blood around the body after he fell into a deep sleep due to the drug use.
Dr David Roberts, a GP at Mr Kerrigan’s local practice, told the court how he checked into the same private addiction clinic as Gascoigne.
He also explained how he had been admitted into hospital before for overdosing – and had bought prescription drugs ‘on the street and internet’.
Mr Kerrigan, pictured with his stepfather Michael aged 13, died two-and-a-half years ago
The doctor, who had been Mr Kerrigan’s all of his life, said: ‘He was booked into The Manor clinic, a private clinic in Southampton.
‘My recollection is that he told me his uncle had previously admitted into that clinic.
‘Kerrigan was a very complex case and he was troubled for a number of years. It is very said that he continued to deteriorate.’
The inquest continues.
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