The Irish Prison Service has been urged to keep its nursing committal forms under constant review after an inquest returned a verdict of suicide in the case of a man who took his own life less than four hours after being committed to Cork Prison.

High-support units should be introduced in all Irish prisons and prison staff should get ongoing training on mental health issues, an inquest jury recommended yesterday after returning a verdict of suicide in the case of a prisoner who was found dead in his cell over three years ago.

The partner of a prisoner deemed to be at “unprecedented” risk of suicide said she was extremely concerned for his welfare during a prison visit just days before he was found dead in his cell.

A psychiatric report is to be prepared on a former Fianna Fáil councillor before he is sentenced for being drunk and a danger; being threatening abusive or insulting; and carrying a knife.

The 54-year-old man who hacked-to-death a taxi driver in Clare faked his own kidnapping in the US to extort money from his uncle, a jury in the Central Criminal Court was told today.