A police officer who ended his own life after becoming a father was described as being ‘overwhelmed’ by the stress of both parenthood and a demanding job, an inquest revealed.
PC Charlie Mitchell of West Yorkshire Police was found dead at St Aidan’s Nature Reserve in Leeds on June 22, the day after he was reported missing.
An inquest at Wakefield Coroner’s Court disclosed today that the 26-year-old, who joined the force in 2022, had no history of self-harm or mental health concerns but was finding it difficult to manage the responsibilities of fatherhood and his frontline job before his passing.
Mr. Mitchell had resided in Huddersfield until April this year, after which he relocated to Leeds with his partner, Brooklyn Smith, who is also an officer with West Yorkshire Police.
The couple welcomed a baby that same month.
In a statement to the inquest, Mr. Mitchell’s mother, Shirley Mitchell, stated that her son’s mental health began deteriorating from April as he wrestled with the challenges of a newborn, a new residence, financial obligations, and job demands.
She informed the inquest that her son had undergone specialist training to carry a taser, achieving success on his second try, which she believed added another layer of responsibility and pressure at work.
The inquest additionally heard that Mr. Mitchell had been affected by the recent loss of his grandparents and was encountering ‘domestic pressures’ after moving in with his partner.
PC Charlie Mitchel, 26, was found dead at St Aidan’s Nature Reserve in Leeds on June 22
Officers found Mr Mitchell’s body while carrying out a search of St Aidan’s Nature Reserve
Mr Mitchell joined the West Yorkshire Police force in 2022 and worked alongside his partner
‘By June, he had become worse and had become paranoid about things, he was jumpy and apologised for things frequently,’ Mrs Mitchell told the inquest.
In June, Mr Mitchell was prescribed antidepressants by his GP. Later that month, on June 21, he went missing, leaving behind notes for his family, before he was found the following day.
Mr Mitchell’s GP, Dr Taimur Mansoor, told the inquest his only recorded consultations had related to routine health matters, until the appointment in June.
She told the inquest she and Mr Mitchell had discussed counselling sessions, and medication for anxiety and depression.
She added the appointment was ‘the first and last time’ that she saw him.
Detective Sergeant Dean Hopley, of West Yorkshire Police, told the inquest in a statement the events that followed when Mr Mitchell was reported missing.
He told the inquest that Ms Smith had seen him leave the house in a vehicle at 4pm on June 21.
‘Brooklyn expressed that this behaviour was out of character and that he was suffering from anxiety as he was overwhelmed,’ he said. ‘She noticed a knife was missing from the kitchen.
‘She said I know my boyfriend and he has gone to harm himself.’
Mr Mitchell’s father, Mark Mitchell, located his son’s white Vauxhall in a car park near the nature reserve, and specialist search officers and mountain rescue teams were mobilised.
His body was found the following evening on a riverbank along the River Aire.
Area Coroner Oliver Longstaff recorded a verdict of suicide.
‘Charlie has died as a result of an act he performed on himself,’ he said.
‘It is evident that this is a young man who is going to be missed enormously and I hope very much that over time it will be the good memories that have precedence in your minds.’
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