A MENTALLY ill patient who plunged 100ft to her death from a tower block felt “let down and betrayed” by those treating her, an inquest heard.

Victoria Nye was found dead beneath her flat in Dumbleton Towers in Thornhill, Southampton, hours after being released from the Department of Psychiatry (DoP).

Southampton Coroner’s Court heard how the 22-year-old, who had a history of self harm, was allowed to leave despite pleas from her dad, after her psychiatrist thought she posed no risk to herself.

The inquest heard this was despite Victoria’s history of suicide attempts and after she told one member of staff she had considered jumping out of a window.

The consultant psychiatrist in charge of her care, Dr Andes Ekelund, told the inquest Victoria was diagnosed as having an “emotional instability personality disorder”.

Giving evidence, Dr Ekelund said it was Victoria who said she wanted to leave the DoP because she felt “claustrophobic”

and that she planned to move from the area to make a fresh start.

He told coroner Keith Wiseman that he felt he could not legally detain her because she was there voluntarily and could not be detained under law.

Victoria was admitted on a voluntary basis for treatment at the DoP after throwing a box of kittens out of her window.

But her boyfriend Victor McElvenny told the inquest that Victoria was discharged against her will, despite her fears about returning home and her desire to be treated for her illness blighting her life.

He said: “She felt let down and betrayed. She was so concerned about being discharged.

She was happy getting treatment and getting her life back on track.”

It emerged earlier that staff were planning to discharge her but wanted to re-house her amid fears if she returned to where the cats she “adored” had died she might be at risk.

But Mr McElvenny said Victoria had phoned her dad, Graham Nye, about her fears over being discharged.

He said: “We all promised, me and her dad, that she would not be leaving that place until they had somewhere else for her to go.

“She was unhappy at being discharged and felt everyone was lying to her.”

On March 3 Mr McElvenny said he visited Victoria only to find her with her bags packed and ready to leave.

He said that the nurse on the ward did not ask them if they had anywhere to go and to avoid going back to the flat they headed on foot to a nearby Jury’s Inn hotel.

He said once in the hotel Victoria asked him for space so he moved to a neighbouring room.

But that night she went to her flat and then fell to her death from her 13th storey window.

Proceeding