Watford woman's suicide bid over fears for son (From Watford Observer)

Watford woman's suicide bid over fears for son

4:20pm Tuesday 9th March 2010 in

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A 40-year-old woman with mental health problems set fire to her flat as she tried to kill herself due to fears over her son in care.

Carol Cartwright was rescued from her blazing flat in Foxhill, Watford, on November 10 after deliberately setting fire to a tea towel.

The mother of a teenage son has a history of mental illness and had stopped taking her medication in the days leading up to the incident.

Cartwright pleaded guilty to arson on a reckless basis, at a previous hearing and the case was adjourned for reports before sentence at Hemel Hempstead Magistrates' Court yesterday (Monday).

The court heard Cartwright stopped taking her drugs after being told by a family member she would not get her son back from the local authorities otherwise.

She told police she had not intended to hurt anyone else but kill herself by inhaling the fumes from the smouldering tea towel.

However, the fire got out of control causing £1,300 of damage to the flat owned by Watford Community Housing Trust.

Catherine Dormon, defending, asked the magistrates not to imprison Miss Cartwright due to the "exceptional" circumstances of the case.

Miss Dormon said: "She has struggled with mental health problems for a considerable number of years.

"Before the date in question, on October 30, Miss Cartwright had been to the Family Proceedings Court in order to try and get her 14-year-old son back.

"Having left the court at Watford she was told it was going to take six months at least, pending further assessment, to have him returned to her care.

"She telephoned her sister, who has foster care of him, begging her to keep him so that he could stay in the family environment."

The sister said she had three children of her own and that she could not take on the added responsibly any longer, meaning Cartwright's son would have to go into foster care with the local authority, the court heard.

Miss Dormon said: "She further said: 'You won't get him back with the medication you are taking'."

With that Cartwright made a "conscious decision" to stop taking her medication, the court heard.

Cartwright's mental health deteriorated to such a degree that she decided to take her own life.

She told police she set fire to a wet tea towel to inhale the fumes, but as soon as it burst into flames had tried to put it out.

Once it got out of control she had called the fire brigade.

Miss Dormon said: "She never intended anyone to be put at risk apart from herself.

"This is an exceptional case, in terms of mitigation and I would ask you to follow the recommendation in the pre sentence report and impose a community order."

Chairman of the bench Alan Burton imposed an 18-month community order to include mental health and alcohol treatment.