Governors face probe after prison suicide in the North

Two prison governors in the North face a disciplinary inquiry today after a damning report revealed that an inmate on suicide watch hanged himself in a secure unit where staff slept on duty.

Governor Alan Longwell and his deputy, Steve Davis, of Maghaberry jail, Co Antrim, will be the first UK prison bosses to come under investigation if the recommendations are accepted.

Prisoner Ombudsman Pauline McCabe’s 186-page report revealed that staff slept on makeshift beds, smoked and watched TV in a special unit where inmate Colin Bell hanged himself last August.

The 34-year-old, jailed for an attack in which a man was burned to death, had a history of self-harm in prison.

Today’s report said investigators viewed footage of officers who were supposed to be monitoring live video links to cells.

“The secure pod officer can be observed preparing and using a makeshift bed,” said the report.

“He and other officers (four at one point) can be observed sitting, chatting, smoking cigarettes, using the computer and watching television.”

The report found checks on prisoners were not made and catalogued a series of shortcomings, including poor records from the late hours of July 31 and early hours of August 1 when the prisoner was found dead.

The report revealed that Bell made repeated attempts to call the Samaritans using a special link in his cell and that he wrapped toilet paper round his feet to stay warm.

After repeated suicide attempts, he killed himself in his cell but his body lay for nearly 40 minutes before it was eventually discovered.

The report failed to find evidence to support claims that he was being bullied by prison officers, while police could not find evidence of a threat against him from other inmates.

The ombudsman said Bell was taken to an observation cell for his own protection, but the Prison Service may have breached its own guidelines and used the move as a punishment.

While the cells were to be used in the short term, it was found that prior to his death the prisoner was kept in the cell for six continuous days and for 40 days in the previous five months.

The Ombudsman noted that disciplinary investigations are being carried out by the Prison Service into the actions of 17 prison staff at Maghaberry.

She made 44 recommendations, the last of which proposes an investigation into two of the prison service’s most senior figures.

The ombudsman said in her report: “I recommend that the governing governor and deputy governor of Maghaberry Prison, who was acting for the governing governor during the two weeks leading up to Colin’s death and to whom operational and functional governors report, are each subject to a disciplinary investigation in respect of the issues highlighted in this report in connection with Colin’s care and, in particular, the failures to adequately implement prison rules, the Prison Service’s self-harm and suicide prevention policy, and the standard operating procedures on the use of safer/observation cell.”

The report reveals how events unfolded in the days leading up to Bell’s death, when he was dressed in anti-ligature clothing and his blanket was removed for his own safety.

For two nights he wrapped toilet paper round his feet to keep warm.

“There is no evidence of any discussion with Colin about whether he is cold or any attempt at intervention,” read the report.

The report said that on July 31 CCTV footage showed he was making ligatures in the morning, though there is no evidence that this is noted by prison staff or that any intervention was attempted.

“That evening, CCTV footage shows that over a period of 14 minutes commencing at 22.57, Colin was holding a ligature and made three attempts to hang himself,” said the report.

“Colin’s fourth, successful, attempt was at 23.41. Even before his first attempt and between his third and fourth attempts, Colin could be seen walking around his cell with a ligature in his hands.”

The ombudsman’s inquiry found that on the evening of July 31 officers were not carrying out the 15-minute interval checks expected.

The cell where Bell was housed contained a button for calling the Samaritans, which he pressed 73 times between July 30 and July 31.

“Evidence suggests that around 63 of these presses resulted in an engaged tone,” said the report.

“There is no evidence of any intervention in response to this level of attempted contact with the Samaritans.”

It added: “Colin’s fourth and final attempt to take his life was at 23.41 when he hanged himself from the ligature at his cell door.

“It was a further 38 minutes before Colin was discovered by prison officers.”