Oh, Suddenly, You Don't Want To Talk,,?

Majid Akhtar, of Sneinton Dale, was at King's Mill Reservoir, near Mansfield, on September 10, 2012, when it is believed he entered the reservoir. He was found in the water by two dog walkers and could not be resuscitated. He was 28.

Mr Akhtar, who had a mental age of four, was on an activity trip from Springwood Day Centre, Mapperley, when he decided he wanted to go for a walk round the lake after a lunch break – instead of going back out on a boat with the rest of the group. His carer, Nikki Deaney, went with him.

Whew! That's lucky, because someone like that could easily come to harm. So... how did he come to harm?

Oh.

An inquest yesterday heard how Ms Deaney had spent much of the trip on her mobile phone – texting Brynsley Shepheard – despite previous warnings from her employer about the use of her phone at work.

She had met him on a dating site on August 23. She spent more than 19 minutes on the phone in a 34-minute period while supervising him round the lake.

*sighs*

Representing Mr Akhtar's family, solicitor Georgina Cursham told the court: "There were a number of exchanges – phone calls and texts – while Ms Deaney should have been looking after Mr Akhtar."

Facing Ms Deaney, Ms Cursham said: "It is likely you were walking for several minutes while on the telephone call before realising Majid wasn't with you.

"I suggest you weren't paying any attention to Majid at all."

Ms Deaney, as she did for nearly all the questions directed at her, said she was not prepared to answer the question for legal reasons.

Because, one fervently hopes, legal charges against her are pending.