Family wins £55k damages over HMP Rochester prisoner death

Staff twice failed to call for emergency assistance for the prisoner, the High Court was told

The Ministry of Justice has agreed to pay £55,000 compensation to the family of a prisoner who died after staff delays in calling for medical help.

He was found "lying on the floor of his cell" at HMP Rochester, but staff twice delayed in calling a "code blue" for emergency help, the High Court heard.

Judge Mark Gargan approved a "global settlement" to eight of the prisoner's family members.

The judge said there had also been a delay in bringing a defibrillator.

Nick Armstrong, who represented the family members of the prisoner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, asked the judge to approve the "global settlement" against the MoJ.

Judge Gargan said: "Unfortunately, when [the prisoner] was found, the relevant officer did not take a step which was known as calling a 'code blue' for emergency assistance.

"That difficulty was compounded because, on receiving further assistance from another officer, again there was a delay in making that call."

He said the MoJ had "quite properly" admitted liability in the case and he was "satisfied" £55,000 was "an appropriate figure at which to settle the action".