NSW: Woman had "black feelings" before jumping to death: inquest

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2009
NSW: Woman had "black feelings" before jumping to death: inquest

By Katelyn Catanzariti

SYDNEY, Aug 11 AAP - Hours before she jumped naked to her death from a Sydney office
building, Rebekah Lawrence called support staff from the self-help course she had just
attended, telling them she was having "black feelings about death".

But as office workers and volunteers, the staff were "woefully" unprepared to deal
with her complaint, the Sydney inquest into her death has been told.

Ms Lawrence plunged to her death from the second storey of a Macquarie Street building
two days after completing the Turning Point course, described as a "journey to the core
of the human spirit".

The 34-year-old had undressed twice before climbing out onto a window sill, shouting
"I love you", and jumping to her death shortly before 7pm on December 20, 2005.

An autopsy found she had no drugs or alcohol in her system.

The organisers behind the Turning Point course were criticised in Glebe Coroner's Court
on Tuesday for not doing enough to support the participants before, during or after the
program.

The mental health screening system prior to participation, psychological support during
the course and access to ongoing medical assistance after its conclusion were all "woefully
inadequate", counsel assisting the coroner Robert Bromwich said.

"What I want to suggest to you is that the nature of the course - delving into people's
minds - is one that does require a higher level of formal training and qualifications
than yourself or anyone else involved in running this course has," he said to course teacher
Richard Arthur.

"I'm not sure," Mr Arthur replied.

"What I'm suggesting is that the risk which tragically became manifested in the case
of Rebekah Lawrence can only sufficiently be avoided by having properly trained psychologists
or counsellors," Mr Bromwich pressed.

"This may be so, but I'm not sure," Mr Arthur said.

As the most qualified member of staff on the course - having completed a couple of
psychological courses as part of his Bachelor of Science in Computers - Mr Arthur was
paid $3,000 to teach the five-day course which cost each of its 19 participants $695.

He told the inquest that participants were given telephone numbers for administrative
"support staff" who they could contact if they had any troubles back in the real world.

But he acknowledged it would have been a "wise precaution" if the number had been for
a clinical professional, rather than an office worker.

Ms Lawrence phoned two mobile numbers shortly before 4am on the day of her death, once
leaving a message, the second time getting through.

"I've just had a really awful experience surrounding death and I feel really, I've
been touched by something really awful and every time I shut my eyes and go into that
feeling I just see awful stuff and I just don't know - I've been so open - I feel I might
be too open," she said in the voicemail message.

When she got through to another worker she told her that she had been having "black
feelings about death" after seeing a movie about an exorcism.

She was advised to "have a warm shower, a hot drink, wrap up and be gentle on yourself"

before calling the centre in the morning to speak to a professional.

The inquest has been told Ms Lawrence tried to call course organisers several times
later that day, but to no avail.

Mr Arthur said he believed Ms Lawrence had been suffering from a hidden, but pre-existing
medical condition when she undertook the course.

However, the inquest has been told a doctor will give evidence that at the time of
her death, Ms Lawrence was suffering from a psychotic episode brought about by her participation
in the program.

The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Malcolm MacPherson continues.

AAP kc/hn/srp/mn

KEYWORD: LAWRENCE WRAP

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