A heartbreaking inquest has begun into the death of 12-year-old Mia Lucas, a young girl whose rapid mental health decline led to her being detained under the Mental Health Act and later found unresponsive in a specialist care unit. The hearing, now underway at Sheffield’s Medico-Legal Centre, is examining the circumstances that led to her death in January 2024 and the series of events surrounding her treatment.

Mia, from Arnold in Nottingham, had shown signs of escalating distress in the weeks leading up to New Year’s Eve. Her family first raised the alarm after witnessing increasingly unusual and alarming behaviour at home. The situation reached crisis point when Mia attempted to take knives from the kitchen, prompting her grandmother to call for emergency help. She was taken to the emergency department of Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham, where medical staff observed that she was experiencing hallucinations, hearing voices, and expressing persistent thoughts of harming herself.

Doctors determined that Mia was a danger to herself and placed her under section 2 of the Mental Health Act on 4 January. Hospital staff described her as confused, agitated, and unpredictable. At times, she became so distressed that she had to be sedated for her own safety. Consultant child psychiatrist Dr. Aiesha BaMashmous, who gave evidence on the first day of the inquest, explained that Mia had been experiencing episodes of psychosis that had worsened over several months. According to Dr. BaMashmous, Mia described hearing voices telling her she needed to “go to heaven” to protect her loved ones.

The doctor told the jury there was no single explanation for Mia’s crisis but highlighted several contributing pressures: bullying at school, a recent family house move, and a prolonged period of emotional overwhelm. Psychiatric teams also requested tests to rule out any underlying physical illness that might have triggered the psychotic episode.

Due to her age, finding a suitable bed for Mia proved challenging. The Becton Centre in Sheffield — one of the few mental health units in the region that accepts patients under the age of 13 — was ultimately identified as the most appropriate placement. However, there were no available beds at the time, meaning Mia had to remain at QMC until 9 January, when the transfer finally took place.

On 29 January, less than three weeks after arriving at the Becton Centre, Mia was discovered unresponsive in her room. Despite medical intervention, she died the following day. The inquest will explore the care she received while at the unit and whether the risk assessments, staff oversight, and safeguarding protocols were adequate for a young patient showing such severe symptoms.

Senior coroner Tanyka Rawden told the jury that they would need to consider three major areas: Mia’s mental health background, the reasoning behind her placement at the Becton Centre, and whether the supervision and measures taken to prevent self-harm were appropriate.

Mia’s mother, Chloe Hayes, attended the hearing with family members, carrying a knitted doll crafted to resemble Mia in her horse-riding outfit — a symbol of the interests her daughter loved most. Ms. Hayes has previously spoken about Mia’s passion for crafts, drawing, singing, and horses, and her dreams of one day becoming a vet or opening her own beauty studio.

The emotional inquest continues, aiming to uncover answers about how a vulnerable young girl’s cry for help ended in tragedy.

FAQ SECTION

1. Who was Mia Lucas?
Mia Lucas was a 12-year-old girl from Nottingham who experienced a sudden and severe mental health crisis that led to her being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

2. Why was Mia sectioned?
Doctors determined she was at risk of harming herself or others after experiencing hallucinations, agitation, and attempts to obtain knives at home.

3. What symptoms was Mia experiencing?
She had been hearing distressing voices, showing signs of paranoia, expressing suicidal thoughts, and behaving in erratic and confused ways.

4. Why was she taken to the Becton Centre?
It was one of the few specialist units in the region able to admit children under 13, though a bed was not immediately available.

5. How did Mia die?
She was found unresponsive at the Becton Centre on 29 January 2024 and died the following day. The inquest is examining her care and the events leading up to her collapse.

6. What factors may have contributed to her mental health decline?
The inquest heard she had been bullied at school, recently moved homes, and was emotionally overwhelmed, all of which may have contributed to her psychosis.

7. What is the inquest aiming to determine?
The coroner is focusing on Mia’s mental health history, the decision to place her at the Becton Centre, and whether appropriate safety and risk assessments were in place.