Prisoner dead in cell ‘feared losing contact with daughter’
APRISON inmate who was found dead in his cell had feared he was going to lose contact with his young daughter, an inquest has been told.
Oliver Nicholas John Owen Jones, also known as Oliver Huxter, had been admitted to Swansea prison in February 2014, following an incident of domestic violence in which he had assaulted his partner Jessica Mullins at her hometown of Milford Haven.
The 26-year-old died at Swansea Prison on March 11 of that year.
The opening day of the inquest, held at Swansea Civic Centre, had heard that Mr Jones, originally from Barry, had been “alcohol dependent” but had stopped drinking after moving to Pembrokeshire to be closer to his partner and was training to become a chef. But he had begun drinking again over the Christmas period of 2013, during which he became “very aggressive”, leading to the assault.
He arrived at Swansea Prison on February 19, 2014, where he told staff he wanted to “take my own life by any means necessary”.
A statement by Dermot Dooley, a family engagement worker for the Prison Advice and Care Trust, was read to the inquest on its second day.
In it, Mr Dooley had said Mr Jones had seen very tearful on the day he was inducted into the prison, and that Mr Jones had told him his daughter was 13 weeks old.
He added: “He was not sure what contact he would get [to her]. It was a very new and disconcerting experience for him”.
Prison officer Dean Williams also gave evidence to the inquest, in which he revealed he had undertaken Mr Jones’ first case review on February 20, and described the inmate as “very down”.
Kirsten Heaven, representing Miss Mullins and the couple’s daughter, questioned Mr Williams about Mr Jones’ care map, designed to lead his care in prison.
Miss Heaven said one of the triggers of Oliver’s distress was losing contact with his daughter, “the most fundamental one”, and questioned why it had not be included on the inside the front cover of the care plan at that stage, where it could be easily checked by colleagues.
Mr Williams said he was focusing on “achievable” goals, and added: “My main concern was to put him in a safer cell... I dealt with the immediate risk.
“I was dealing with immediate factors at the time. I was presenting someone who was going on about medication, mental health, and someone who says they want to be dead, so that is where I am going to go.”
The inquest had been told earlier that the ACT procedure had been opened by staff, to support and manage prisoners at risk of self harm and suicide, but it had been stopped by February 28, 2014, because prison staff were satisfied that the risk of suicide has reduced.
Mr Jones had been prescribed diazepam to help with his alcohol withdrawal, as well as anti depressant mirtazapine.
Mr Jones was found hanged in his cell on March 11, and attempts to save him were unsuccessful.
The first day of the inquest heard from Anna Nixon, a mental health nurse at Swansea prison, who was the staff member to open Mr Jones’ ACT document after he told her that he “intended to kill himself”.
Miss Nixon discovered that Mr Jones had been consuming 140 units of alcohol a week and was experiencing alcohol withdrawal in prison so he was prescribed diazepam.
She said: “My biggest concern was when he said he was going to commit suicide by any means necessary.”
The inquest continues.
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