Jorja Watt faced an ongoing mental health battle which is said to have deteriorated after she was left ‘traumatised’ from being stripped and locked in a police cell
Jorja Watt, a newly qualified teacher, battled with her mental health for much of her life and had visited ‘drug dens’ before she was tragically found dead, an inquest heard. Her sudden death was just months after she was left ‘traumatised’, having been allegedly stripped and locked in a police cell naked.
The 27-year-old from Lancaster had been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder – a condition marked by intense and fluctuating emotions. She was arrested during a night out at her friend Charlie’s house in Heysham, west of Lancaster, on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. However, upon arrival at the police station, she was allegedly “stripped and left naked in a cell”.
Jorja’s mum, Marie, said the incident left her daughter “traumatised” and that she and her dad lodged a formal complaint. After the ordeal, Jorja also feared it would shatter her dream of becoming a teacher and her mental health deteriorated as a result, according to an inquest at Preston Coroner’s Court.
Jorja had ceased taking her prescribed medication and began visiting “drug dens” where she would self-medicate with her prescription drugs, the court was told. She often visited her friend Charlie’s house, which is where she was tragically found dead on the morning of 1 September 2024.
In a statement, her mum said, “She self-medicated and frequented drug dens. She said her main motivation was to dilute her heightened emotions and to feel calm.” She also described her daughter as “quietly spoken, intelligent and kind.”
A post-mortem toxicology test found that Jorja had multiple prescription medications in her system at the time of her passing, including methadone, pregabalin and dihydrocodeine, alongside painkillers for a leg wound. Area coroner Kate Bisset recorded her death as a misadventure – where death is the unintended consequence of an action.
Miss Bissett said, “Jorja was very much a free spirit. She obviously had a core of real steel in her to complete a degree over six years and maintain a job while going through these struggles, and that shows a real strength of character.” The cause of her death was recorded as multi-medication toxicity, with emotionally unstable personality disorder listed as a contributory factor.
The area coroner added, “I think it is right to record this is not someone who is 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.”
Voirrey Wilde, Charlie’s mum, said she had known Jorja since she was a baby and shared a statement at the inquest. She said, “I had gone to sleep and woke up, Jorja had knocked on the door and she came in with two bags and went in the front room with a male friend called Adam. At around 1 o’clock I woke up to Charlie shouting ‘Jorja’ repeatedly. I knew something was wrong. I found her slumped on the sofa. Her lips were blue and she was unresponsive.”
The inquest heard that Jorja had been at the house of a friend known as “Tall Gill” to collect her bags prior to arriving at Charlie’s home. A friend informed the police, “Jorja had been to this person’s house, seen a bottle of brown liquid on the side and said ‘I’m taking that’.”
