On September 1, 2024, Jorja Watt, a 27-year-old teacher from Lancaster, England, was discovered unresponsive in a friend’s house and later died. Previously diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder, Watt had dedicated six years of her life to her teaching studies. She was about to begin a new job in Costa Rica.
During an inquest at Preston Coroner’s Court in January 2025, it was revealed that despite her personality disorder, Watt had successfully completed her education and maintained steady employment.
Prior to her death, Watt was arrested under suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker during a night out in Preston, Lancashire. She was reportedly stripped and left unclothed in a cell during her arrest, an incident that took place at Preston Police Station. This episode greatly affected her mental health and instilled a fear for her teaching career. She was held for several hours before being released without any charges.
After the incident with the police, Watt stopped using her prescribed medication and started self-medicating with prescription drugs. “She was not 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,” the coroner stated during the inquest.
The toxicology report from the post-mortem examination disclosed the presence of various prescription medications in her system at the time of her death, including methadone, pregabalin, and dihydrocodeine. At the inquest, medical experts testified that this combination of drugs, without proper medical monitoring, resulted in her death. The report also suggested a pattern of regular drug use in the weeks leading up to her demise.
Investigations showed that Watt’s mental health had severely worsened following the incident at the police station. She started visiting places known for drug-related activities to procure prescription medications once she stopped her prescribed treatment. The coroner’s investigation linked this drastic change in behavior directly to the trauma she suffered during her arrest.
The coroner declared a verdict of misadventure, underscoring the unintentional nature of Watt’s death. The ruling highlighted that her self-medication was a response to her declining mental health, not a pursuit of recreational drug use. The medical evidence presented during the inquest pointed to a fatal interaction resulting from the combination of medications in her system.
