Serena Perry inquest: coroner's jury hears 911 call from hospital

A coroner's jury in Saint John heard 911 tape of the call from the Saint John Regional Hospital the night of Serena Perry's death.

On the call, officials from the hospital were looking for help notifying Perry's family.

Police were not called immediately when Perry was found dead on Feb. 14, 2012 in the amphitheatre with a blue hospital gown wrapped around her neck. The call that did go to police was simply a request for help to notify Perry's mother Rose of her daughter's sudden death.

The call to 911 left both the dispatcher and the patrol sergeant on duty at the time a little concerned. It's not unusual to have a code blue death at the hospital, but in this case the victim was just 22.

Staff Sgt. Richard Caswell immediately decided to investigate. He headed for the hospital and called another patrol car to meet him there. He very quickly decided the matter should be treated as a possible homicide. Other patrol cars were called to the hospital along with identification and major crime investigators.

The inquest also heard that the door to the amphitheatre was supposed to be locked.

Perry was an involuntary patient of the psychiatric unit, which is located in a different section of the hospital, presiding coroner John Evans told the five-member jury during his opening remarks.

She was allowed to take unsupervised breaks from the unit, which she did on the evening of her death in the company of at least one other psychiatric patient.

Evans showed a photograph of Perry to the jury, noting she was alive when the photo was taken. "This is why we're here," he said.

Evans and the jury will hear evidence from subpoenaed witnesses during the three-week inquest in order to determine the facts surrounding Perry's death.

Const. Stephen Davidson, of the Saint John Police Force's major crime unit, was the first witness to be called.

He showed the jury the floor plan of the hospital and photos of the area, pointing out the location of a security camera in the light court outside the amphitheatre.

Evans and the jury members left the Saint John Law Courts building to visit the hospital at about 10 a.m. and are expected to reconvene at the courthouse at 1:30 p.m.

At least 50 witnesses are expected to be called to testify during the inquest. The witnesses include 29 doctors and staff from the Horizon Health Network as well as Saint John police officers.

A Court of Queen's Bench judge has issued an order granting the coroner access to Perry's confidential mental health records and the records of two unnamed male patients, who were seen with Perry before she died.

It is expected a videotaped police statement by one of those patients, who had been considered a suspect, will be played.

Saint John police treated Perry's death as a homicide but announced in June 2013 that no charges would be laid. A forensic examination could not determine the cause of Perry's death, police said at the time.

A coroner's inquest doesn't make findings of legal responsibility, but the jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.