A coroner’s inquest into the 2024 death of a St George’s woman began yesterday with a jury viewing video footage recorded shortly before her death.

The jury heard that Jennifer Steede, 61, was pronounced dead at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in the afternoon on May 16, 2024, after police responded to a reported mental health emergency at her home.

Joshua Smith, Ms Steede’s son, told the inquest: “Although our relationship had many ups and downs, I loved her very much, and it is my opinion that the circumstances of her interactions with police on the day in question are central to understanding how and why she died.

“My mom had a huge, often overbearing personality. She could be difficult for others to deal with.

“Due to her mental health issues, she sometimes could not regulate her enthusiasm or her actions and could speak or behave in ways that were misunderstood or could seem inappropriate.”

He said that in addition to her mental health challenges, Ms Steede suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which caused her breathing challenges that could be worsened by stress or exertion.

As the inquest began, the jury heard a written statement from Ms Steede’s neighbour, a Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute community support worker, who called the police that morning after seeing her outside partially naked.

The witness said that she had known Ms Steede for years and was aware that she was mentally unstable when not properly medicated.

She said that she went to Ms Steede to urge her to put pants on. She said the woman appeared to be calm.

The witness wrote that three police officers arrived at the scene and one officer escorted her into Ms Steede’s home to get a pair of pants along with an oxygen tank, as she had complained of asthma.

She said she saw officers attempting to help Ms Steede put the pants on, stating that at that point she had been handcuffed.

The witness described Ms Steede as being “noncompliant but not aggressive”.

Pc Justice McDermot said that on the morning of May 16, 2024, she had been on mobile patrol when a report came through of a mental health emergency at a home on Wellington Slip Road.

She said the information she received was that Ms Steede was “walking around naked” and that dispatch was also in communications with the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.

Pc McDermot said that after officers arrived on the property, they found a woman, confirmed to be Ms Steede, seated in a chair. She said Ms Steede was speaking loudly and aggressively.

She said that she contacted dispatch to find out whether they had received any word from the MWI. After being told there was no update, she went to the road to guide another officer to the location.

Pc McDermot said that after she returned, a fellow officer came out of the house with a pair of pants and a device that she later recognised as an oxygen machine.

She said Ms Steede became agitated after being told that the officers would be taking her and was handcuffed to be transported.

However, as they approached the police car, Pc McDermot heard another officer ask Ms Steede if she was having difficulty breathing.

She said she brought Ms Steede her oxygen machine and turned it on while Ms Steede put a tube into her nose.

Pc McDermot said she had not been made aware that Ms Steede had a medical condition and realised something was wrong only when she heard the comment about the woman’s breathing difficulty.

The officer told the inquest Ms Steede was still breathing when she was handed over to the care of officers with the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service.

However, written statements provided by firefighters said that Ms Steede stopped breathing and her pulse was lost shortly after they arrived.

Firefighters started CPR and continued as Ms Steede was taken to KEMH by ambulance, but she was pronounced dead.

The jury also saw Ring camera footage showing officers interacting with Ms Steede.

While Ms Steede was seen sitting on a wall with an officer in one clip, the next showed her on the ground by the wall. Two officers were seen to lift her by the arm and bring her to a plastic chair.

The final clip showed the two walking Ms Steede away with her arms handcuffed in front of her.

In a video interview played in the court, Michael Looby, a mental wellness officer with the MWI, said Ms Steede suffered from bipolar affective disorder.

He said that on the morning of May 16, he was contacted by police, informed that Ms Steede had been found naked in public and asked what should be done.

Mr Looby said that after quickly consulting with a doctor, he advised that Ms Steede should be taken to KEMH for assessment, stating that it was policy to have patients medically cleared before admitting them to the MWI.

He said that he had spoken with Ms Steede the week before the incident as she had asked about going on to different medication for her COPD.

Mr Looby said: “It would have been related to her respiration issues. She had breathing problems.”

He said that he advised her that she would need to speak with a doctor. While the interaction was cordial, she had shown signs of possible deterioration.

Mr Looby said another visit to Ms Steede was planned for May 14 or 15, but that meeting never happened because a separate priority matter had arisen.

The hearing continues.

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