A talented Harrogate musician diagnosed with diabetes at 18 died eight years later from the disease, an inquest heard today.

Aaron Joseph Bertenshaw was 26 when he went into a diabetic coma and died at his home in Dene Park in December 2021.

At the inquest in Northallerton, coroner Catherine Cundy heard evidence that he had struggled to come to terms with his diagnosis and the condition had not been well managed.

Mr Bertenshaw, a popular musician who also worked as a barber, was admitted to the emergency department of Harrogate District Hospital 40 times over a period of five years.

Of those, 36 admissions were because of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which occurs when the blood glucose level is dangerously high.

Following his high frequency of admission to hospital, a multi-disciplinary team meeting was called in April 2021, involving the GP practice as well as the hospital’s diabetes team.

As well as his poor diabetes control, health professionals were concerned that he failed to keep appointments or respond to attempts to contact him.

The meeting considered whether Mr Bertenshaw had the mental capacity to make decisions in his own interests and it was agreed this would be assessed whenever contact was made with him in future.

However, the psychiatry team at Harrogate District Hospital never felt that Mr Bertenshaw had an underlying mental health problem that would have impacted on his ability to make decisions.

Mental health

The consultant psychiatrist, Dr Akram, told the court Mr Bertenshaw had had a number of referrals to mental health services over several years, the latest in October 2021.

He said patients in acute episodes of DKA can lack judgement and behave strangely, but this does not mean they have a mental health disorder.

Nor, he said, can someone be detained under the mental health act to force them to accept treatment, which Mr Bertenshaw’s parents had suggested could have been done for him.

The community mental health team felt that Mr Bertenshaw was struggling to accept his diagnosis, but was not deliberately misusing his insulin.

Dr Akram added:

“His intention was not to hurt himself. He just wanted to be on a different type of diabetic medication.”

The inquest also heard that the diabetes team at the hospital had discussed different options with Mr Bertenshaw to help him manage his condition.

He had requested going onto an insulin pump, which diabetes consultant Dr Sutapa Ray told the inquest had been “on the table” for him.

She said Mr Bertenshaw was told he first needed to have his sugar levels under control, which he had not been able to do.

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Mr Bertenshaw’s mother, Sammy Oates, told the court he had lost a significant amount of weight and vomited after every meal, causing her to suspect he had an eating disorder.

However, Dr Ray said this was a common symptom in cases of poorly controlled diabetes, and Mr Bertenshaw had not engaged well with the diabetes team to help him manage the condition.

She said:

“It was very much the case that we would reach out to Aaron and we would do whatever he allowed us to do to engage with him to make the changes that needed to be made…

“Type one diabetes is such a burdensome condition. People adjust in different ways. Some take years and years, and some never come to terms with it.

“It’s probably one of the most difficult conditions to live with for the person and the people around them. it’s not at all uncommon [to struggle with it].”

The court heard Mr Bertenshaw had avoided emergency admission to the hospital for most of 2021.

When he was admitted in early October, he said he had been drinking and taking cocaine following the death of a friend. Having initially refused tests and treatment, he did later agree to accept help.

He was again referred to the mental health team but, despite repeated attempts to contact him, he failed to respond.

Aaron Bertenshaw was a well-known musician who gigged around Harrogate

On Thursday, December 2, 2021, Mr Bertenshaw’s mother went to his house, having not been able to contact him or seen him active on WhatsApp since Monday, November 29.

She found him on his living room floor, and paramedics attended to confirm his death.

Police officers who were also present reported signs of a “chaotic” lifestyle, including an unhealthy diet, and use of alcohol and drugs.

The post-mortem and toxicology reports found that while there was some cocaine in his system, it was not in large enough quantities to have put him at risk of death. However, the court heard use of cocaine is thought to be linked to a higher risk of DKA.

Concluding that Mr Bertenshaw had died of natural causes relating to his diabetes, Ms Cundy said she had not seen any evidence that more could have been done to intervene by the organisations caring for him.

She said she accepted that sectioning him to force him to take medication was not appropriate, adding:

“People cannot and should not be detained in psychiatric institutions simply because they make what others of us might consider to be unwise choices about how they live their lives.”

Derry Jones is a songwriter and pianist from Harrogate and has played in multiple venues but most will know him for his days in the Jimmy O Show band in the 60s and 70s.

Mr Jones now plays in Bettys tea rooms regularly but often looks back at his time in the Jimmy O Show band. He joined the band in 1959 but his career began in the early 1950s in jazz bands.

In the early years of rock n’ roll, the 86-year-old was accompanying comedians such as Ken Dodd and Charlie Chester as well as former professional footballer turned comic Charlie Williams . He also performed at The Cavern in Liverpool “before the Beatles made it famous”.

Mr Jones said one of the highlights of performing in the Jimmy O Show band was performing at venues such as the Royal Hall and spending an afternoon with Dustin Hoffman:

“It was a really enjoyable few years and we were all from Harrogate. We were pretty popular back in those days, appearing on TV and in big venues.

“People still ask us to get back together, but we aren’t all around now so it wouldn’t be right.”

Mr Jones was busy performing when the Eurovision came to Harrogate in 1982 but says he remembers the town being swept up in Eurovision fever.

He still plays Germany’s winning song from that year Ein bißchen Frieden, which translates to A Bit of Peace, when performing at Bettys.

One year before the Eurovision in Harrogate, in 1981, Derry Jones and the Jimmy O Show band appeared on Tyne Tees TV to perform his original song “The Nicest Place”.

The song was played to promote the opening of the Harrogate Convention Centre and says “the grass is greener and the streets are cleaner”.

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Even at 86 Mr Jones said his passion for music has never wavered, he has continued to write songs and perform regularly, adding it remains his biggest passion.

Over lockdown, Mr Jones and his wife Jowita would regularly perform for their neighbours on the street. He would play accordion and she would sing whilst neighbours sat on garden walls or even danced in the street.

“Music has been a constant for me. Sometimes I wish I could get the old days back but I’m happier ow than I’ve ever been.”

Family and friends of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw celebrated his life at a funeral in Bilton this morning.

A procession led by motorbikes, including some Harley-Davidsons, set off from the family home on Woodfield Road and arrived at St John’s and St Luke’s Church for the 11am service.

The service was broadcast live on the church’s Facebook page and can still be viewed there.

A wake was held afterwards at The Empress on the Stray.

Aaron Bertenshaw died suddenly last month.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died suddenly aged 26 last month. He had struggled with diabetes and mental health issues.

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Sammy Oates, Aaron’s mother, set up a fundraising page to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems. That fundraiser is currently on £6,910.

The family said donations at the service would go to Diabetes UK and CALM, the campaign against living miserably.

Ms Oates is now campaigning for extra support for those who struggle with diabetes and mental health. She told the Stray Ferret previously:

“Aaron touched a lot of lives. He was only 26 but packed a lot in. He also worked as a barber and played rugby for Otley when he was young.

“He was such a bright shining star and an absolute social butterfly. Everyone knew him and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

“What I remember most is his smile. He had the most infectious smile. There was always a twinkle in the eyes.”

A memorial service celebrating the life of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw will be held at St John’s Church in Bilton on January 4.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died suddenly aged 26 this month. He had struggled with diabetes and mental health issues.

Sammy Oates, his mother, said everyone was welcome to attend the service, which begins at 11am. A wake will be held afterwards at The Empress on the Stray.

Donations will go to Diabetes UK and CALM, the campaign against living miserably.

Sammy added the church has capacity inside for 160 people and the event would also be livestreamed because Aaron had family in New Zealand and South Africa.

She said the service would be an upbeat celebration of Aaron’s life and asked people not to wear black suits. Aaron loved tweed and Sammy suggested this as a possible alternative.

A fundraising page set up by Sammy to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems has so far raised over £5,000. You can donate here.

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Sammy said she planned to raise the issue of diabetes and mental health to parliament as part of her campaign to fund a service that treats both illnesses together.

She is trying to find a counsellor within a 20-mile radius of Harrogate who is either diabetic or understands the disease.

Anyone who can help put her in touch with a suitably qualified person can contact her on social media or email us and we will forward on messages. You can email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Aaron was a popular figure on the Harrogate district music scene. He was a regular at the Blues Bar, where he first performed and at many other venues, such as Hales Bar.