Coroner criticises South Yorkshire Police over man’s suicide on train from Sheffield
South Yorkshire coroner Marilyn Whittle has issued a 'prevention of future deaths report' following the suicide of Andrew Herrin Dodds on a train
Last updated 21st Nov 2025
Police have been criticised over the death of a man who had previously threatened to take his own life and thought a German gang was following him on the day he died by suicide.
South Yorkshire coroner Marilyn Whittle has issued a prevention of future deaths report following the suicide of Andrew Herrin Dodds on a train from Sheffield station after he was released from a mental health assessment.
South Yorkshire Police have until January 12 to respond to her concerns, around key information about his mental health issues that the force did not provide to British Transport Police after he spoke to officers at the station.
Ms Whittle’s report outlines how Andrew Herrin Dodds was assessed by mental health services at Northern General Hospital in August 2023 after expressing suicidal thoughts. He was discharged and referred to the alcohol care team and his GP’s mental health team and provided with details of supportive organisations.
The report says: “Andrew then self-referred to the single point of access and was accepted for further crisis assessment. He was deemed high risk and reported a plan to end his own life.
“He was assessed at the Longley Centre and agreed to further assessment by the home treatment team. On August 16 he attended the Longley Centre but left before he was seen.
“Sheffield Health and Social Care (SHSC) were concerned as they were unable to contact him and reported this to South Yorkshire Police.”
He later contacted SHSC to make an appointment for the next day but did not attend the appointment. SHSC again contacted police, who issued a missing person’s report on August 17.
After speaking to his brother and a friend, police found Andrew in a hotel on August 19.
The following day police officers were called to a hotel in Sheffield as Andrew was threatening to harm himself. They used their powers under section 136 (s136) of the Mental Healh Act to take him to a place of safety at Swallownest Court, Rotherham for a mental health assessment.
No next of kin details were given of Andrew’s brother by police when they handed him over. His brother was informed where he was. However, he received no further updates from the police and was not informed to contact Swallownest Court directly.
He was under the impression that police would keep him updated, the report said.
“A Mental Health Act assessment was undertaken that determined he did not require any medical recommendation, there was no evidence of mental illness that required admission or referral to secondary services.
“No next of kin information was available to them and so no information or communication was made with them either during or following the assessment.
“The outcome of the assessment was not communicated to SHSC or police. Andrew was provided with a taxi to take him to Sheffield train station as he stated he was going to stay with his brother.
“At Sheffield train station he presented himself to the station manager requesting his laptop be given to the police and stating that he was being followed by a gang from Germany.
“British Transport Police officers spoke to Andrew. I was informed that they undertook a PNC Police National Computer check which identified that he was known to mental health services and there was mention of him being suicidal.
“I was told it did not contain any information that he had recently been a missing person and that he had recently been detained under s136. There was no next of kin details.
“The British Transport Police officer emailed the South Yorkshire Police Force control to check if they had any details about Andrew and he received an email in response which mentioned he believed he was being followed by gangs and had been a missing person a few days previously but this report was now closed.
“Due to the lack of information they did not contact mental health services for more information or contact next of kin to confirm that Andrew was stating he was making his way to them.
“They asked him if he felt suicidal and he answered no. I was told they had no reason to believe he was lying and had no reason to hold him therefore they allowed him to get on a train.”
Andrew took his own life on the train. His cause of death was redacted fromn the report.
He was found by the train conductor when the train was pulling into Tamworth station and got medical attention but was pronounced dead at the scene.
The coroner said her concerns were that police did not pass over relevant details including next of kin to Swallownest Court, meaning they could not be contacted.
They also did not inform next of kin to contact Swallownest Court directly and did not provide any further updates. “This happened shortly after a shift change over so whether a full handover was provided between officers to allow this information to be given is not clear.”
The report adds: “There was missing information on the PNC check which meant that Andrew was not flagged as recently being held under s136. The further email from force control also did not mention that he was recently detained under s136.
“I was told if this had been on the system British Transport Police would have contacted mental health services for more information.”