Teen died after police rush to her flat, but could not be saved due to 'frustrating' delay

Police were delayed in entering the flat of an 18-year-old woman who later died in hospital, an inquest has heard.

Alex Duce was found by officers on the afternoon of September 11, 2022, at her second-floor flat in Newport, Wales, and died days later, Newport Coroners' Court was told. Alex, a care home worker and beauty student at Ebbw Vale College, was described as "popular" with "many friends." 

Hours before she was found, her mother reported her missing, saying a video call the previous evening had shown nothing unusual and that her disappearance was out of character. PC Michael Lammert attended the flat alone earlier that day. He was told by Alex's mother that she had been struggling with her mental health and had self-harmed around five weeks earlier.

READ MORE: Bleeding schoolboy asked for napkins after daylight knife attack left him with head wound

READ MORE: Man pleads guilty to killing his mum with her own gun after she took away his phone

Gwent Police classified her as "medium" risk. In his notes, PC Lammert recorded that Alex neither drank alcohol nor used drugs and did not pose a danger to others, Wales Online reports. "All that I had was that there had been a previous incident where she had taken an overdose and that there were concerns she might do it again," PC Lammert told the inquest. "There was no immediacy. If there was a clear message relaying she was contemplating suicide then that would definitely have been a higher risk."

Shortly before 11am, PC Lammert knocked on Alex's door and tried nearby flats, but there was no answer. A close friend told him she "does this from time to time," which he understood to mean she sometimes shuts herself off from family and friends.

At this stage, police did not have sufficient evidence to force entry under section 17 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. PC Lammert then returned to Ebbw Vale station to trace people linked to Alex, including her foster family and a social worker, who said she sometimes struggled to maintain connections but was not considered particularly vulnerable.

He was diverted to a higher-priority incident before being sent back to the Castle Street flat around 4pm, accompanied by PC Lauren Smith. Reports said several of Alex's loved ones were outside, banging on the door.

PC Smith, trained in forced entry, had to assess whether to break in. Finding the necessary method of entry kit, which includes a hooligan bar and battering ram, proved difficult; it took about 30 minutes to locate the kit in another police vehicle. She described such delays as "frustrating," as at the time, only one kit was available per station.

When they reached the flat, PC Smith was unaware of Alex's previous self-harm incidents. "That information was never made available to me," she told the coroner. "The sense of urgency increased while I was there as I gained more information." She said that had she known about the suicide risk earlier, she "might have changed approach."

After a neighbour reported hearing footsteps and a "loud bang" from Alex's flat that afternoon, PC Smith decided to force entry just before 5pm. Using a battering ram five times, officers gained access and found Alex dead in her room. They believed she had recently lost consciousness and immediately began CPR while calling for backup and paramedics.

PC Ethan O'Sullivan arrived at 5.03pm with a defibrillator and continued resuscitation until paramedics arrived. Alex, showing signs of life, was taken to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil for advanced life support. She remained on life support until it was switched off on 16 September. The inquest continues.

Samaritans offer support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide on 116 123, 24-hours a day. You can email jo@samaritans.org.