‘Dearly loved’ dad from Bury was found dead in car park

Joseph John Harris, 34, was discovered unresponsive by a B&Q employee in bushes in the car park of the store on Bridgehall Industrial Park Bury on on November 2 last year, after he was reported missing the day before.

Rochdale Coroners Court heard that Joseph had a history of self-harm and he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his teens.

At the time of his death, Joseph was living at Barret Court in Bury and was a factory worker.

His father Joe Harris said that as a child Joseph wanted to be a police officer but he ended up working as a chef and his disorder started to affect his work.

He said Joseph did drink alcohol but never took any illegal drugs and the last time he knew he had self-harmed was 11 years ago.

Joseph’s partner Whitney Carty said they were together for five years and she told the court that he used to be under the mental health team but was discharged.

She said he would have depression episodes and the GP said he may have emotionally unstable personality disorder.

Two weeks before his death, Joseph took an overdose of prescribed diazepam after the couple had an argument.

Whitney found out he had taken this overdose the following morning.

When asked if she thought Joseph had taken an overdose, Whitney said: “I didn’t think he’d lie to me so yes, but I think he knew how many to take to not die.”

Whitney said he should go to the GP or hospital but refused to go even though he said he felt unwell.

She also added that this was the first time Joseph had responded to an argument in this way.

On October 30, two days before his death, Joseph left his home that evening after ending his relationship with Whitney, carrying a workbag and a bottle of rum.

She said she assumed that Joseph went to his dad’s house but later on she received a text from him saying “goodbye Whit I love you”.

She tried to contact him, but his phone rang out.

On November 1, Whitney contacted his dad who then reported Joseph missing to police.

Mr Harris said that he knew his son going missing would be a cry for help and that he would have left his phone on as he would have wanted to be found.

Detective Inspector Waywell said that Joseph was found unresponsive by employees at B&Q, who were on a night shift, in a bushy area of the car park.

North West Ambulance Service was called and paramedics pronounced him dead.

He was found with an empty bottle of rum and numerous blister packs beside him.

Toxicologist Kerry Taylor tested blood and urine samples and detected a number of prescribed drugs, but they were all at very low levels.

She also detected alcohol which was found to be the same amount comparable to twice the drink drive limit but again this wouldn’t be deadly.

Pathologist Emil Salmo carried out a postmortem examination on Joseph at Royal Oldham Hospital.

He found some prescribed medications and a raised level of alcohol in him too.

Dr Salmo said that he also detected that Joseph had fatty liver disease, which can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Joseph would often drink daily which may have been the cause to this.

This disease can cause fatal cardiac arrhythmia, which can cause the heart to suddenly stop, and he said Joseph’s cause of death was fatty liver disease.

John Barnes, a missing persons safeguarding officer for Greater Manchester Police, said that Joseph was listed as a missing person with response grade two priority.

He said: “In hindsight, he should have been high risk due to the out of character disappearance linked with his bipolar, his history of self-harm, not attending work, the text sent and the self-harm which occurred two weeks before.”

Coroner Catherine McKenna said: “Joseph’s death looked like a death due to self-harm due to how he was found and the evidence from DI Waywell, but in fact the evidence from toxicologist she did a full screening and there was nothing which would explain his death in those results.”

She ruled the death as being due to fatty liver disease and recorded a conclusion of natural causes.

Ms McKenna said: “Joseph was a dearly loved son, dad and partner and will be sorely missed.”

Mr Harris said: “I’m heartbroken, he’s all I had.”