A MOTHER distraught by the death of her young daughter cut her own throat in front of shoppers and staff at a Shipley supermarket, an inquest heard yesterday.

Sobia Yousef, 36, died last March after walking from her home in Beamsley Road, Shipley to the local Asda store where she selected a knife from kitchen utensils in aisle 11.

Asda worker Colin Wallis saw Mrs Yousef holding the knife. Fatally wounded, she collapsed bleeding to the floor.

It emerged care workers had visited her the day before the tragedy and had not noted any warning signs of possible self harm.

But Bradford coroner Martin Fleming stressed neither they, nor Mrs Yousef's family in particular had failed to spot any such risk.

Mrs Yousef's elder brother Imtiaz Ali said rules on patient confidentiality had been a barrier and meant the family's fears she was not taking prescribed drugs were not acted upon.

MORE TOP STORIES

"If we could have worked together, she'd be alive today.

"It's a lack of communication which has led to her death.

"We had so much information to tell them, but nobody would listen.

"I tried everything to get her back into hospital, but I failed," said Mr Ali, breaking down in tears.

However he acknowledged his sister's secrecy about her condition was a problem.

"We had no impression she was going to harm herself, I never thought she would."

Mrs Yousef suddenly developed mental health problems due to the terminal decline of her daughter Maweesh, nine, who suffered from a congenital heart problem.

She was told in 2013 her daughter had months to live and suffered an intense psychotic episode while visiting Maweesh at Leeds General Infirmary when she saw cats in the hospital room and heard voices.

Her mental state worsened so fast her family took her to Airedale General Hospital where she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Care co-ordinator Fiona Cooke said Mrs Yousef was initially withdrawn and mute, but did make good progress, enabling her to visit Maweesh in hospital.

She then returned to live at home with her husband and their son and daughter.

But when Maweesh died in October, 2013, Mrs Yousef had another breakdown, setting fire to her dead daughter's clothes on the kitchen cooker.

She was again sectioned to Bradford District Care Trust's Lynfield Mount hospital, but allowed to leave after a month.

Mrs Cooke told the inquest that none of the 33 home visits and contacts made with Mrs Yousef had raised fears of suicide or self harm and she could not be forced to take medication.

"In all the notes I've seen, none expressed concern of self injury," she said.

Coroner Mr Fleming recorded a narrative conclusion saying it was "most likely she died from self harm whilst the balance of her mind was disturbed."