Two staff warned after jail suicide
TWO prison staff have been disciplined over actions in the lead-up to the death of a murderer who committed suicide in jail, a report has revealed.
Paul Jordan was found hanged at HMP Altcourse, Fazakerley, on July 6, 2018, just weeks after being sentenced to 14 years for the murder of Elizabeth Jordan, known as Betty, in Bangor on July 31, 2017.
An inquest into his death heard planned checks by prison staff, at 5.30am and 7.30am on the day of his death, had not taken place and that counselling sessions had ended.
However, a jury at the inquest concluded it was unlikely any other intervention would have made a difference and they found nothing could have been done to prevent him from taking his own life in his prison cell.
The jury’s conclusion stated: “It is extremely likely that [Jordan hanging himself ] was done deliberately, with intent to take his own life.
“There is insufficient evidence as to determine whether the missed 5-5.30am check would have found Mr Jordan in a position where urgent medical attention would have changed the outcome. With reference to the missed 7.30 check, it is unlikely to have contributed to Mr Jordan’s death.”
But a subsequent report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Sue McAllister, has highlighted concerns and said checks on Jordan prior to his death were not carried out to “a satisfactory standard”.
She said: “When he was discovered on the morning of 6 July, he had clearly been dead for some time and there is no evidence that any member of staff had seen him for more than 13 hours.”
The Ombudsman concluded it was reasonable for prison staff to have closed Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) , procedures – otherwise known as “suicide watch”, on 12 June, three weeks after Mr Jordan was sentenced.
“We are satisfied that there was little to indicate to prison and healthcare staff that he was at heightened or imminent risk in the period immediately before his death. There is evidence that Mr Jordan hid his true intentions from staff,” Ms McAllister said.
“However, we are concerned that the roll checks on the night and morning before Mr Jordan was found dead were not completed to a satisfactory standard. CCTV footage shows that the night officer did not carry out mandatory roll checks and that the officer who unlocked his cell in the morning did not verify whether Mr Jordan was in the cell or in need of help.”