Durban - A former Durban resident and DHS Old Boy, Daniel Murphy, 28, died after jumping off a bridge and in front of a car in Shropshire, England.
Talking to the Daily News from her home in England, Murphy’s mother, Jane, said Daniel had been diagnosed as bipolar a while back and had never taken to his medication.
“A couple of months ago he decided to stop taking his medication. He was feeling depressed and last Thursday we took him to the doctor, who said he could be discharged but had to stay with us.
“Daniel had his own flat in Shrewsbury. He wasn’t doing well so we took him to hospital on Sunday night and I slept solidly because I thought at last he was getting proper care.”
The next morning, Daniel walked out of Princess Royal Hospital of his own accord. He jumped off a bridge on to the A5 road between Shrewsbury and Telford. He was hit by a car and was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.30am.
Jane said an investigation was opened into why nobody had stopped Daniel from leaving the hospital, but that his death has been ruled a suicide.
She said it was unlikely Daniel had had left the hospital with the intention of killing himself because he was walking towards his flat.
Local newspaper, The Shropshire Star, reported that Jo Banks, associate director for patient safety at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, confirmed that Murphy left the hospital of his own volition on Monday morning.
Banks said: “As soon as staff became aware that he had left, they raised the alarm. Our deepest sympathies go out to Mr Murphy’s family.”
In a statement released by West Mercia police, Murphy’s parents, Bernard and Jane Murphy, said: “Daniel was a wonderful, charming, fun-loving person who will be sadly missed by many people. He excelled at school, academically, culturally and on the sports field.”
Murphy was in partnership with his father making pizza ovens on the Heath Hill Industrial Estate at Dawley, Telford, under the name of Bernito Pizza Ovens.
Close school friend, Justin Aboud, said friends were shocked to hear of Murphy’s sudden passing.
“Everybody who knew him got on with him. He was really one of the boys and a very good sportsman.”
Murphy
matriculated from DHS in 2002, after which he studied psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He was a student teacher at DHS for a while before relocating to the UK about five years ago.
He was a first team rugby player at school and played for DHS Old Boys rugby club after school.
Several classmates took to the Durban High School Class of 2002 Reunion Page on Facebook to share fond memories and express condolences.
Mitchell Murphy, not a relative, who has been a close friend since they were in primary school, said Daniel made an impact on everyone he came in contact with.
Daily News