(Image: Richard Doughty Photography.)
A “much-loved” York man died by suicide, a coroner has concluded.
Jamie Lee Smith, 37, was found dead at his home in Fulford on October 28, 2025.
Coroner Jonathan Leach said Mr Smith died from self-inflicted injuries with his death being verified by the ambulance service at 4.20pm.
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The inquest heard that Mr Smith struggled with his mental health for many years and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and anxiety.
He had been under the care of an NHS community mental health team which last saw him 13 days before his death, the hearing in Northallerton on Tuesday (August 25) was told.
Mr Leach gave the conclusion of suicide, saying he was satisfied that Mr Smith took his own life and intended to do so.
The inquest heard that police ruled out any third-party involvement in Mr Smith’s death.
Mother pays tribute to 'much-loved and treasured' son
Mr Leach said Mr Smith had a “loving and supportive family”, and Mr Smith’s mother “was always available for him”.
A statement from Mr Smith’s mother read in court said he was a “much-loved and treasured” son, grandson, brother, nephew and cousin.
She said Mr Smith grew up a “happy chap” in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and the family moved to York in 2006.
Mr Smith was a talented sportsman in his youth and represented the county for rugby, his mother, who was not named in court, said.
She said her son’s mental health deteriorated when he entered adulthood.
Her statement said Mr Smith’s death had been “devastating and heartbreaking” for the family.
The mother raised concern about a review into her son’s death being completed without her involvement.
Mr Smith’s mother said she accompanied her son to appointments for his mental health care.
But the mother said she had been too distraught to speak about her son’s death when contacted by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV), which provides mental health for York.
Mr Leach told TEWV’s associate director of nursing, Jemma Hill, who attended the inquest: “I would suggest it would be good policy to contact [family members of the deceased] after two or three weeks, when perhaps emotions have died down a little, in the circumstances such as this, to ask if they [would like] any involvement [in the review into the death].”
Ms Hill agreed that she would pass the coroner’s suggestion to TEWV bosses.
Ms Hill told the inquest that the trust carries out the reviews to identify any areas of learning after a person it cared for dies, but none were identified following Mr Smith’s death.
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