Prison had no record of dead man’s earlier suicide attempt

THE Irish Prison Service had no record of a previous suicide attempt by a prisoner who hanged himself, an inquest heard yesterday.

Andrew Spratt used a trouser’s cord to hang himself in Mountjoy Prisoner.

However, the prison service, Dublin Coroner’s Court was told, could find no documentation relating to a suicide attempt by Spratt in Wheatfield Prison, shortly before a transfer to Mountjoy.

The inquest also heard that there were no prison records showing that the dead man had sought, or been denied, temporary release shortly before his death.

His family told an earlier hearing Spratt had been very upset at being denied permission to attend his son’s Confirmation.

They also criticised prison officials for not placing him on suicide watch in Mountjoy given his earlier attempt to take his own life.

The body of Spratt, aged 31, of Ratoath Drive, Finglas, was discovered hanging from a tracksuit cord in his cell on March 5, 2005. He had been serving a short sentence for minor car tax and insurance offences, although he had a higher security profile in the prison.

Prisoner service solicitor Stephen Byrne told coroner Dr Brian Farrell that a search of files had shown no record of Spratt having applied for temporary release for either his son’s Confirmation or any other event. Similarly, no records were discovered to support suggestions that the victim had made a suicide attempt while he was in Wheatfield Prison.

Mr Byrne also pointed out that a pathologist’s report on Spratt’s body showed no evidence to back up claims of a previous suicide attempt.

However, the prisoner’s mother, Margaret Spratt, said another prisoner had noted her son had marks on his neck from the attempted suicide. She also said her son would not have sought permission for a special prison visit by her grandson if he had not been previously denied temporary release.

Dr Farrell acknowledged the family’s concerns on the issue but said he could not advance the matter further.

A jury of five men and one woman returned a unanimous verdict of death by suicide.