In brief: An inquest has opened into the death of David Keith Morgan, 66, who died in a flat fire at Lord Coutanche Court in August 2025. His former partner told the inquest that the family had been “crying out for help” in the weeks before his death, raising serious questions about the care he received.
A Death in the Early Hours
David Keith Morgan died in the early hours of Monday 4 August 2025 in a fire at his flat at Lord Coutanche Court, Seaton Place. The inquest, which opened on Monday and is due to last three days, heard that his medical cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, with a secondary cause of starvation. Advocate Matthew Berry is sitting as coroner.
Bailiwick Express reports that in a statement read to the inquest, Mr Morgan’s former partner, Fiona Healy, described him as a “quiet and private man” who had developed anxiety after breaking his ankle during the pandemic. She said the injury left him spending more time at home and struggling to maintain his weight, prompting her to visit regularly to encourage him to eat.
A Family’s Concerns Go Unheard
Ms Healy told the inquest that in the six weeks before his death, Mr Morgan’s behaviour changed dramatically. She described him beginning to clean at “strange times in the middle of the night”, writing on the walls of his flat, and being found lying in the communal garden outside his home. On a cruise, she said, he appeared to be on drugs and did not leave his cabin for several days.
The inquest also heard that earlier in the summer of 2025, Mr Morgan had made threats to set himself on fire and to kill family members. Ms Healy said she “believed David to be very unwell” and that he needed sectioning “for his own safety.”
“I was genuinely concerned that something was going to happen to him,” she said. “I feel as a family we were crying out for help for David but nobody listened.”
She described a “significant deterioration in his mental health” during which he became “increasingly reliant on medical cannabis”, and questioned why, given his symptoms, he continued to be prescribed it. “I genuinely believe that he was suffering from some form of psychosis,” she said, adding: “I genuinely believe if David had been seen and detained, he would still be alive now.”
Police and Fire Call-Outs
The inquest heard from police officers and Fire and Rescue Service personnel about multiple call-outs to Mr Morgan’s home. In July 2025 alone, three Adult Protection Notifications were made, including one relating to the incident in which he threatened to set himself on fire.
Bailiwick Express explains that Adult Protection Notifications are used by police officers in cases where individuals need additional support. They trigger a referral to the Public Protection Unit, which then forwards concerns to a “single point of referral” that operates separately from the States of Jersey Police.
The inquest is continuing, with proceedings scheduled through to Wednesday.
Source: Bailiwick Express
