Thread by @GeorgeJulian

Gather round twitter, you know the drill, grab a brew and a choccie biccie, and steal yourselves.

Please let me introduce you to Thomas.

#JusticeforThomasRawnsley 1/24

Thomas was born on the 7 June 1994. @wetwetwetuk were no1 with Love is All Around and for the Rawnsley family this couldn't have been more true.

Thomas was a longed for son to his mum @paularawnsley and Dad, Paul, and his three older sisters Becky, Charlotte and Katie 2/24

Thomas's family describe him as a 'beautiful, loving, compassionate and most of all mischievous' little boy. Even as a young adult Thomas was still little, standing tall at 4ft 10. Thomas liked ketchup, gansta music and going to the park 3/24

Becky shared a brilliant video on facebook of Thomas enjoying the roundabout; its here if the link works facebook.com/66964960647894… 4/24

Thomas enjoyed spending time with his family, and was loved like only a youngest brother to three big sisters can be.

He was a very much loved son, brother and uncle; pretty much at the heart of the Rawnsley family 5/24

By the time he was a teenager Thomas was known to be autistic and was living at home with his mum and sisters, he communicated using makaton and was able to make his needs understood if people got to know him well.

At times his communication was crystal clear 6/24

Thomas started to become anxious as his teenage years set in and keen to keep him at home @paularawnsley asked for support. Thomas was removed from his family, into the 'care' of social services. What followed is nothing short of a horror story 7/24

Once in care, between 2012 and 2013 Thomas was abused by a care worker at Norcott House in Liversedge. @paularawnsley became increasingly concerned about Thomas's behaviour, while it was normal for him to be homesick, he had started to become violent and to self-harm 8/24

It emerged that Thomas had been physically and psychologically abused by Terence Thompson, who received a suspended jail sentence and unpaid community service examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-york… 9/24

Having been taken into the 'care' of the State Thomas was abused and unsurprisingly was left traumatised by that. His behaviour became unsettled, he was distressed and increasingly mistrustful of staff (again who wouldn't be in that situation?) 10/24

The staff at the home where Thomas was abused, felt his mistrust of them was a threat to their safety and they could no longer support him. Rather than receive specialist trauma support, Thomas was moved to a secure Assessment and Treatment Unit in Bradford 11/24

Thomas didn't receive specialist support in the ATU, instead he was heavily medicated to the point where his family consider he resembled a zombie. He had unexplained injuries and was subject to physical restraint, this terrified and traumatised young lad, all 4ft 10 of him 12/24

Thomas's parents grew increasingly concerned about the treatment of their son, and the threat of him being moved even further away (to Peterborough). They complained about his mistreatment, to safeguarding, to social care, to anyone who would listen 13/24

An independent panel agreed the move to Peterborough should be blocked and they recommended Thomas have his own flat.... but Bradford District Care Trust were unable to provide that and so Thomas ended up shifted to Sheffield 14/24

Thomas was moved to Kingdom House, a specialist service run by @LifewaysGroup in Sheffield, 50 miles from his family and friends. Thomas was the first resident of this new service, and he arrived deeply traumatised and terrified 15/24

Thomas's family were concerned about the 'care' provided to Thomas at Kingdom House. They raised repeated concerns with safeguarding and social care thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/11784901.… 16/24

Paula describes being in a meeting 'I told them they were killing my son, only to be told we had to wrap it up as the meeting room cost money... 3 weeks later he was dead' 17/24

All of what I've shared above will not be explored at Thomas's inquest. Thomas was under a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard when he died in February 2015 so his inquest is an Article 2 inquest with a jury. However, at the 8th pre-inquest review hearing... 18/24

The coroner ruled the abuse Thomas suffered, his ATU care, treatment and over medication, the decision to place him at Kingdom House and families concerns about carpet burns on his body in weeks before his death, were not causative of death, and therefore are out of scope 19/24

The inquest will focus on the last five days of Thomas's life and his family hope it will provide answers for how a 20 year old can die from a chest infection. This was the last time @paularawnsley saw her son, and the first and only time he met his niece 20/24

The snow was bad the last weekend Thomas was alive so Paula couldn't travel to him. His Dad saw him though, saw the unexplained carpet burns and that he was struggling to breathe with a chest infection. Thomas collapsed on the Sunday night 21/24

Thomas suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital. His life support was turned off, with his family at his bedside, three days later. Thomas's family have fought to get answers for 4.5 years 22/24

His mum @paularawnsley did everything she could while he was alive: 'I was seen as a trouble maker, a complainer who expected too much for her child; I was threatened with arrest if I bought him home and gagged from speaking out' 23/24

Thomas's family have had an excruciating wait for justice. His inquest starts tomorrow at Sheffield Coroners Court and is tabled for 5wks.

I'll not be live tweeting but will write a piece for @SHINEreports at the conclusion of Thomas's inquest /END

#JusticeforThomasRawnsley

@SHINEreports Sorry I should have said that Thomas's family are represented by Nancy Collins and Sebastian Del Monte from @hodgejonesallen and their barrister is Emily Formby from @39EssexChambers

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