Coroner criticises mental health services over death of former Manchester music school pupil

A coroner has criticised mental health services for "failing" to provide proper care to a concert violinist who died just a week after giving evidence against her predatory former choirmaster.

And he demanded that new rules are put in place to ensure that vulnerable witnesses are given better support when they face often traumatic trials.

Mother-of-four Frances Andrade was "extremely traumatised" after testifying about abuse she suffered as a teenager at the hands of ex-Chetham's School of Music choirmaster Michael Brewer and his wife Kay.

She took a fatal overdose at her home in Guildford, Surrey, days later on January 24 2013.

She did not live to see her abuser jailed for six years for five counts of indecent assault two months later.

Delivering his verdict at Woking Coroner's Court, coroner Richard Travers said he could not be sure she intended to kill herself and ruled out a verdict of suicide.

But he said he would be writing three reports - two to the Director of Public Prosecutions and one to the local health service to call for changes in the wake of the inquest.