HMP Wealstun prisoner died after broken gate delayed ambulance

The ombudsman says the emergency response at HMP Wealstun was "very poorly managed"

A prisoner found hanging in his cell died after jail staff delayed starting CPR and an ambulance got stuck outside a broken gate, a watchdog has said.

Lewis Johnson, who had psychoactive substance spice in his system, had told family he was scared over drug debts at HMP Wealstun.

The 34-year-old died on December 12, 2019 at the jail near Wetherby.

The prison was criticised by inspectors who said its emergency response was "very poorly managed".

Mr Johnson had called family in the days before his death asking them to settle drug debts, a Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's report detailed.

He had also stopped going to classes, telling prison staff he was scared for his safety.

Mr Johnson had been found under the influence of psychoactive substances four times in the months before his death, and prison officers admitted they suspected he had drug debts.

The ombudsman's investigation after Mr Johnson's death found he had been on a basic level of privileges, leaving him locked in his cell for long periods and unable to earn rewards.

'Critical delays'

He had admitted making a noose nearly two months before his death but was not on suicide watch when he died.

The ombudsman's report said he didn't get as good mental health care inside prison as he would have outside, and officers didn't call an ambulance until five minutes after he had been found.

The ambulance then got stuck outside a broken gate, and had to wait until prison officers hand cranked an automatic gate open, meaning it was more than half an hour before Mr Johnson got medical help.

Their independent report said: "It is not possible to say whether these delays affected the eventual outcome for Mr Johnson, but we know that in an emergency situation, a delay of a few minutes could be critical."

Prison staff had also delayed starting potentially life-saving CPR, with a manager sending officers out of Mr Johnson's cell in the minutes after he was found in the early hours, before they were called back in.

The report also says prison staff should have dealt with his suicide risk better and didn't try hard enough to resolve his safety fears.