This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/devon/7277464.stm

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Inquest jury considering verdict Navy criticised over sailor death
(about 23 hours later)
A jury has retired to consider its verdict at an inquest into the death of a Royal Navy officer. The Royal Navy has been criticised over the death of a female officer who was found semi-naked and left on the floor of a ship's cabin.
Lt Emma Douglas, 29, from Huntly, Aberdeenshire, was found semi-naked on the floor of her cabin on HMS Cornwall at Devonport, Plymouth, in 2004. Lt Emma Douglas, 29, of Aberdeenshire, was found dead on HMS Cornwall at the Devonport base in Plymouth in 2004.
She died from diabetic ketoasidosis, although diabetes had not been diagnosed before her death. She died from diabetic ketoacidosis, although diabetes was not diagnosed before her death, an inquest heard.
The inquest in Plymouth was told assumptions had been made that the officer was drunk. A medical consultation she had before dying and the actions of a shipmate who closed her cabin door were criticised.
Det Ch Insp Alistair Cuthbert said these had not been addressed by the officer of the day and if navy drunkenness procedures had been followed, first aid action could have been taken. Lt Douglas, a deputy marine engineering officer from Huntly, was found dead onboard the frigate on 3 October 2004, hours after being seen lying on her cabin floor, the inquest in Plymouth heard.
Oral thrush Assumed drunk
A statement from Home Office pathologist Dr Gyan Fernando said the estimated time of death was about 0400 BST on 3 October 2004. When she was first spotted, it was assumed she had had too much to drink. However, a post-mortem examination revealed she had no alcohol in her body.
A post-mortem examination carried out on the officer revealed she had no alcohol in her body. In a narrative verdict aimed at answering a number of questions from the coroner, the jury criticised a medical consultation four days before Lt Douglas's death at which her diabetes was not diagnosed.
Lt Douglas, a deputy marine engineering officer, had been seen four days before her death by Surgeon Commander Marcus Evershed at the shore base HMS Drake Medical Centre in Plymouth. She had been seen by Surgeon Commander Marcus Evershed at the shore base HMS Drake Medical Centre in Plymouth. He diagnosed oral thrush and offered her sick bay rest, which she declined.
He diagnosed oral thrush and offered her sick bay rest, which she declined. The officer, who had never seen Lt Douglas before, said she had complained of vomiting after meals, lethargy and a sore mouth.
The officer, who had never seen Lt Douglas before, said she complained of vomiting after meals, lethargy and a sore mouth. He told the inquest that diabetes was in the back of his mind but it was "very much suppressed" because of her answers about urine and drinking.
She was drinking only small amounts of fluid but did not complain of bowel or urine symptoms, he told the inquest. Lt Douglas was a deputy marine engineering officer on HMS CornwallThe inquest jury ruled that there was insufficient communication between the two.
Emma Douglas had a degree in mechanical engineering The jury said Lt Douglas did not divulge enough information about her health and Commander Evershed did not ask specific questions to elicit information.
He said diabetes was in the back of his mind but it was "very much suppressed" because of her answers about urine and drinking. The actions of a shipmate was also addressed by the 10-strong jury. They criticised the crew member who closed her cabin door after she was first seen on the floor.
Coroner Ian Arrow reminded the jury that an inquest was a fact-finding investigation and was not a method of apportioning blame. The panel said that if correct procedures had been followed, it would have been established if she was asleep or whether alcohol or illness were factors.
It was asked to consider whether policies and procedures were in place and whether they were followed. Coroner Ian Arrow said that he would be writing to the General Medical Council, Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence about the jury's findings.
Steps taken or not taken in the light of what Lt Douglas's condition appeared to be to those who saw her were also to be taken into account, Mr Arrow said. Lt Douglas's mother, Cynthia Douglas, said her daughter was "badly let down by her naval colleagues".
The jury was also told to consider whether the relevant personnel did all they could reasonably be expected to do to avoid the real and immediate threat to life of an individual of whom they had knowledge or should have had knowledge. 'Extremely disappointing'
In particular, he said, this referred to who took action or made decisions that impacted on Lt Douglas. She said that despite a criminal investigation and a navy board of inquiry no-one has accepted any responsibility or been held in any way accountable for her daughter's death.
Mr Arrow said regardless of the jury's decision, any person who believed they had a cause of action arising from the circumstances of the officer's death could still bring action in an appropriate court. Mrs Douglas said: "This is something which our family have found extremely disappointing".
Captain Charlie King, from Devonport naval base, said the service deeply regretted the "tragic death".
An internal board of inquiry found a misunderstanding among some members of the ship's company that, in some circumstances, an individual's privacy could be more important than taking steps to ensure their personal safety, she said.
She said commanding officers had been reminded that, while safety of the ship was the main priority for personnel, the well-being of the entire ship's company was a vital component of that wider responsibility.