Winchester prison 'likely knew' suicide inmate had noose
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27 September 2016
- From the section Hampshire & Isle of Wight
It was likely prison staff knew an inmate on suicide watch had prepared a noose the night before he was found hanged in his cell, a jury has concluded.
New Fathers 4 Justice campaigner Haydn Burton was arrested in May 2015 over allegations of assault.
He was found unconscious at Winchester Prison in July 2015 and later died.
An inquest jury said it was "more likely than not" prison staff had been informed the inmate had a noose.
It criticised the care offered to him and concluded there were missed opportunities to assess or reassess Mr Burton's risk of self-harm or suicide.
They said prison staff failed to review his care once he was deemed to be at risk.
'Felt threatened'
Jurors at Winchester Coroner's Court found poor communication between officers and managers, and between officers and healthcare teams, contributed to Mr Burton's death.
Compliance with national policy could have changed the chain of events that contributed to his death, it concluded.
Coroner Grahame Short said 2015 had not been a good year for Winchester Prison - referring to four deaths at the facility in the space of two months.
He said he would write to the Ministry of Justice with recommendations for improvement.
Sectioned several times
Mr Burton's mother, Maureen Carter, previously told the inquest he felt threatened in prison and someone had threatened to beat him up over a debt.
The jury heard Mr Burton was known to have mental health issues and had been on suicide watch before.
The campaigner had been sectioned several times, they were told.
Mr Burton was well known in Winchester as a New Fathers 4 Justice campaigner and would often be seen wearing a Superman costume with a placard and a hailer.
from
http://betternews.co.uk/winchester-prison-039likely-knew039-suicide-inmate-had-noose