THE devastated father of a young west Belfast man who died suddenly has appealed for more investment in mental health care.
Kieran Moore found the body of his 24-year-old son Conor on Monday morning after breaking down the door to his flat in Lenadoon.
Medics believe the young man, who had coughed up blood - possibly from a burst ulcer - may have suffocated, but further tests are being carried out.
A talented artist, Conor had gone out on Saturday to watch the Champions League final with friends but his father had not seen or heard from him afterwards.
He said the former St Mary's Grammar School pupil had battled with mental health problems but was making progress rebuilding his life.
Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 18, he spent the last six years in and out of Knockbracken Healthcare Park.
However, Mr Moore claimed his son was "failed" by the system as he was not given sufficient support to re-settle into the community.
The father-of-five said he was given medication but not enough help to deal with his issues, including addiction to drink and drugs, which he began taking at the age of 14.
"If it wasn't for me arguing and holding them to account, he would have been treated like s**t. I really did have to fight for him," he said.
"Conor should have been sitting down with a counsellor so he could talk about his thoughts. Many a nurse said to me `Your son shouldn't be in here'.
"For me, Conor suffered from a range of issues, they just wanted to medicate him for psychosis."
Mr Moore also said there was not enough help to adapt back into the community.
"The whole system could have done better. The system is under-funded. There were certain people who looked after Conor who were great but they were under so much pressure.
"More investment is needed in mental health care in Northern Ireland and more training needs to be given to staff."
He described his son as "a friendly and happy person".
"He was gentle and loving," he said.
"He had a good soul. He was a good kid."
He added: "We are just shocked. We are devastated. He was making progress."
Responding to the comments, Belfast health trust said: "We understand how difficult a time this is for Conor’s family and offer our deepest sympathies; however, we are unable to comment on any individual cases.
"We would be happy to meet with Conor’s family to talk about their concerns and would encourage them to make contact with the trust directly."
Requiem Mass for Conor Moore will take place at 10am today at St Matthias' Church on the Glen Road.
