A GRIEVING father has slammed the mental health facility where his daughter hanged herself.

Bethany Ella Tenquist, formerly of Cornwall Gardens, Brighton, where she lived with her mother and five siblings, died on January 16 this year from severe brain damage as a result of hanging.

At an inquest into her death, which opened yesterday before a jury, Alasdair Tenquist described how his 26-year-old daughter had endured bullying at the Caburn ward at Mill View Hospital in Hove.

He said: “Many of the staff were good people. There were however a number who I believe should not be in the caring profession.

“There was a complete lack of regard for her life experience of having been bullied when she was at Cardinal Newman school, and what a trigger this would be for her.”

Mr Tenquist told assistant coroner Sean Horstead how Bethany had been bullied by other patients and on occasions had been physically harmed.

He said: “Bethany told me that in one incident a bully had slammed her head against the wall, and I saw the bruises.

“Although this was reported to staff, the abuse continued.”

Bethany had suffered from bulimia and an emotional unstable personality disorder, as well as substance and alcohol misuse, and would self-harm when intoxicated.

Mr Tenquist told the court Bethany had said contraband was a problem on the ward, and how patients were able to access alcohol, tobacco and sharps.

He said: “It appears there was a kind of prison atmosphere, and there was a great deal of contraband flying around the ward.

“I mentioned this issue to staff and they effectively just shrugged their shoulders, as if to say, what can we do about it?”

During the first day of the inquest, which is being held at Sussex County Cricket Ground over 11 days, two of Bethany’s sisters, Alice and Luella, paid tribute to her.

Alice said: “There are so many ways to describe our sister.

“She had a natural disposition for caring for others, and was particularly protective of her younger siblings. Much of what you will hear in the coming weeks will be about her time at Mill View, but we ask that you see her as a person and not as a patient.”

The hearing continues.