Jorja Watt, a 27-year-old teacher from Lancaster, England, was discovered unresponsive at a friend’s residence on September 1, 2024, and later died. Watt, who was diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder, had spent six years in academic studies to establish her teaching career and was on the verge of starting a new job in Costa Rica.

An inquest at Preston Coroner’s Court in January 2025, revealed that despite her diagnosed emotional personality disorder, Watt was able to finish her studies and retain employment.

Several months prior to her death, Watt was detained under suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker during a night out in Preston, Lancashire. She was reportedly stripped and left unclothed in a cell during the arrest, an incident which profoundly impacted her mental health and incited fear regarding her teaching career. This occurred at Preston Police Station, where Watt was held for multiple hours before being released without any charges.

After the incident in the police cell, Watt ceased taking her prescribed medication and started self-medicating with prescription drugs. “She was not taking drugs for a high and chasing a thrill. Her mental health was a real battle for her, and taking medication was an attempt to win that battle,” said the coroner during the inquest.

A post-mortem toxicology report uncovered the presence of several prescription medications in her system at the time of her death, including methadone, pregabalin, and dihydrocodeine. Medical professionals testified at the inquest that this combination of drugs, consumed without appropriate medical supervision, was the cause of her death. The toxicology report indicated medication levels suggesting regular usage in the weeks leading to her death.

The inquest exposed that after the police cell incident, there was a considerable decline in Watt’s mental health. She started frequenting locations identified as “drug dens” to acquire prescription medications after discontinuing her prescribed treatment. The inquest found that this change in behavior was directly connected to the trauma she experienced during her arrest.

The coroner issued a verdict of misadventure, asserting that Watt’s death was an unintentional result of her actions. The verdict highlighted that her decision to self-medicate was an outcome of worsening mental health rather than drug misuse for recreational purposes. Medical evidence presented at the inquest demonstrated that the lethal interaction created by the combination of medications in her system led to her death.