My son could still be alive if prison doc had read his cry for help
Mum’s torment over suicide probe
THE mum of a prisoner who took his own life believes her son would be alive if concerns about his mental health had been acted on.
John Perry, 24, died in hospital in January 2013 after attempting suicide days earlier at Perth prison.
He suffered irreversible brain damage and mum Pauline McLaughlin was left with the heartbreaking decision to turn off life support.
She claims changes to the way people with mental health problems are dealt with in custody aren’t enough to stop further tragedies.
A fatal accident inquiry last year ruled John’s death may have been prevented if a letter, sent to the jail’s governor, had been read by a prison doctor assessing him – but it remained unopened until after the tragedy.
Pauline, 60, of Greenock, has been refused legal aid for a bid to raise a civil action against the Scottish Prison Service. She said: “I don’t have closure. I feel as if I’ve let John down.
“He wanted help but fell through every crack in the system.”
John – who was due to become a dad – was remanded in custody at Perth prison after appearing in court.
The prosecutor wrote to prison bosses highlighting concerns over his behaviour, describing him as “irrational and paranoid”.
Pauline spoke to John on the day he died. She said: “The warning signs were all there. I knew things weren’t right.
“He said he felt a burden but I told him we loved him and that he had a baby on the way. If the doctor had read that letter, John would have seen the mental health team and things could have been different.”
A spokesman for SPS said: “Anyone coming into prison is seen by a medically qualified professional and can then be referred to a doctor.
“Healthcare in prisons has been managed by the NHS since 2011.”