A gym founder who live-streamed his own suicide on Facebook fled A&E the day before he died, according to his friends.
Jonathan ‘Bazza’ Bailey, 50, had initially tried to get admitted to Harplands Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday after concerns were raised over his deteriorating mental health.
But his close friend Stefan Hanks was told that he would need to take Mr Bailey to A&E.
Jonathan ‘Bazza’ Bailey (pictured), 50, live-streamed his own suicide on Facebook on Saturday after fleeing A&E the night before
Mr Bailey, who had previously been treated at the Harplands, left the Royal Stoke University Hospital later that evening, and Stefan came to take him to his home, where he left him overnight.
But after attempting to contact his friend the next day, Stefan discovered that he had taken his own life.
Emergency services had been called to Mr Bailey’s flat in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, on Saturday afternoon but paramedics were not able to save his life.
Stefan, 40, from Stockton Brook, said: ‘In the last few weeks he had been suffering really badly. He’d already tried to take an overdose.
‘On Friday I asked him if he was prepared to be sectioned. He has been sectioned before. He’d been a patient at Harplands.
‘I took him to A&E, and they were asking him different questions. When they eventually decided to admit him he tried to run off, and we had to physically restrain him. But I thought they would keep him in and he’d be safe.
Strongman Eddie Hall (pictured with Mr Bailey) also believes more could and should have been done to help his friend, who trained him for two years
‘But later on I was told that he’d left the hospital. When I got there my other mate was already there and Bazza was just wandering across the car park.
‘We took him to his flat, where he’d just moved to. We got him a KFC, and after that he said he just needed to rest, so we left him.
‘The next day I was trying to contact him. I tried calling him and messaging him through all his social media.
‘At around 12pm he text me saying he was OK. But then soon after that I heard what he had done.
‘They should never have let him leave the hospital. If someone is saying they’re thinking of killing himself, they shouldn’t let them out.’
Strongman Eddie Hall also believes more could and should have been done to help his friend, who trained him for two years.
Eddie, who won World’s Strongest Man in 2017, says he is angry that Mr Bailey was ‘let down over and over by the system’, after giving so much to the local community.
Mr Bailey ran the Ultimate Fitness Gym in Chesterton and launched the non-profit Chris Edwards Academy Community Gym in Longton with Stefan last year.
He had also set up a Facebook group to tackle the scourge of the synthetic drug monkey dust in North Staffordshire.
Eddie said: ‘Bazza was someone who gave his time to everyone and never asked for anything in return. He trained me for two years, and while I offered to pay him, he refused to take a penny.
‘I’ve seen hundreds of people paying tribute to him saying the same thing.
‘Bazza alway wanted everyone else to be happy, but he was never happy himself.
‘Mental ill health is something you can never be cured of, you can only manage it, by finding your fix. I got my fix through training, but I don’t think Bazza ever found his.
‘If there’s any lesson to draw from this it’s that you need to talk.
‘If you’re having problems, talk about it with friends, family, anyone. Don’t just keep it to yourself.’
Two ambulances and the Midlands Air Ambulance were called out to Mr Bailey’s home at 12.25pm on Saturday, and paramedics found him in a critical condition.
Stefan, 40, from Stockton Brook, said: ‘In the last few weeks he had been suffering really badly. He’d already tried to take an overdose’ (pictured: The Royal Stoke University Hospital)
‘There was nothing they could do to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene.’
A friend wrote on Facebook to say he drove to Mr Bailey’s house in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, to try and stop him from hanging himself but when he arrived police had already taken him away.
Mr Bailey is believed to have written, ‘I’m Going to Hang Myself Today’, on Facebook before starting a live stream, according to an obituary on The Arts of Entertainment.
His daughter, Lucy Bailey, took to Facebook to detail her despair at mental health services in the UK.
She wrote: ‘Something needs to change, I can’t explain how many times you’ve been let down by the mental health services.
‘I’m never going get my head around the fact we can’t speak everyday anymore I can’t see you hug you.
‘I’m forever going to try and do you proud.’
Alongside her emotional post she uploaded two screenshots of text messages from Mr Bailey where he explains how he wasn’t being offered enough advice on correct medications to take for his depression.
He detailed how he rang a crisis team to ask for help but was simply told that it would take four to six weeks for the medication to have an effect.
A friend wrote on Facebook to say he drove to Mr Bailey’s house in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, to try and stop him from hanging himself but when he arrived police had already taken him away (pictured: The Royal Stoke University Hospital)
And he vented his frustration that his medication was only allowed to be changed by his psychiatrist but he wasn’t able to get an appointment with his psychiatrist until November 22.
Facebook issued a statement after the incident and claimed it sent ‘support documents’ to Mr Bailey after his initial suicidal status was uploaded.
A spokesman said: ‘Our thoughts go out to Mr Bailey’s family at this difficult time.
‘We can confirm that the livestream was deleted very soon after being posted and this further post has also now been removed at the family’s request.
‘We take the responsibility of keeping people safe on our platforms seriously, and we will continue to work closely with experts like The Samaritans to ensure our policies continue to support those in need.’
A GoFundMe page to raise money for Mr Bailey’s funeral has already raised £6,595
According to Facebook’s Community Standards, the company has been ‘advised by experts’ to not remove live videos of ‘self-injury while there is an opportunity for loved ones and authorities to provide help or resources’.
Mr Bailey, who was a mental health campaigner and local hero in his area, founded a gym in Chesterton and was a member of a local anti-drugs group – Stoke-on-Dust.
The Facebook page for Stoke-on-Dust wrote an emotional tribute which read: ‘Bazza Bailey, an extraordinary man that we had the honour of getting to know.
‘Although it was over a short period of time, the impact Baz had on the whole Stoke-on-Dust team was truly heartening, one that can’t be summarised into a few words.
‘The news is devastating and our condolences go out to his family, friends and loved ones.
‘A true legend in the city of Stoke, his activism and perseverance in making the community a better place was legendary and we hope that his legacy lives on in those he inspired.
‘Rest in Peace.’
A GoFundMe page to raise money for Mr Bailey’s funeral has already raised £6,595.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details