A NORTH-EAST man threw himself under a HGV tanker only 48 hours after doctors decided he was not a suicide risk, it has emerged.

Patient John Hetyey had been admitted to St Lukes psychiatric hospital, Middlesbrough, in December last year.

He was taken to the hospital after deliberately cutting his arm.

An inquest in Middlesbrough heard yesterday how Mr Hetyey asked to be discharged.

But within a couple of hours he was back on the ward asking to be re-admitted, complaining of feeling suicidal and panicky.

He also told staff if he returned to his flat, in Spencerbeck House, Ormesby, he would probably kill himself.

Several days later he discharged himself, reluctantly keeping an outpatient clinic appointment with specialist registrar in psychiatry Dr Madhuri Rajwal on December 15.

Dr Rajwal told the inquest: "I did not feel that there was any particular indication of suicidal ideation.''

On December 17, Mr Hetyey threw himself under a tanker driven by HGV driver Eric Grimes along the A174 Parkway, near Ormesby.

Mr Grimes, who lives in New Marske, east Cleveland, told Cleveland Police that 31-year-old Mr Hetyey had been walking towards him along the hard shoulder when, two feet away from the tanker he jumped into the vehicle's path.

"He was like a goalkeeper diving for a football. It was a deliberate act, there was nothing I could do,'' he said in his statement to police.

"The male had obviously wanted to kill himself by jumping out like he did.''

Witnesses saw the tanker swerve and blue smoke from the tyres as its brakes locked.

But Cleveland Coroner Michael Sheffield recorded an open verdict, saying that he had to be sure beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Hetyey had intended to kill himself, but that had not been made clear.

Mr Hetyey's sister, who did not want to give her full name, said after the inquest: "I am going to undertake more investigations myself.

"I did not read any of the reports before the inquest."

Miss Hetyey said she was unhappy with the open verdict.

During the inquest she had asked why her brother had been discharged when he had talked to hospital staff of not being scared to die.