Delays and neglect led to death of IPP prisoner, inquest finds

A prisoner serving an indeterminate sentence killed himself after delays to a parole hearing contributed to psychosis, and prison staff neglected to seek medical help as his condition deteriorated, an inquest jury has found.

- Rajeev Syal

Haydar Jefferies, a 50-year-old publican serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence, died in March 2023 knowing that the allegations that had recalled him to prison had been dropped.

Postponed parole hearings in 2022, which could have freed him, "more than minimally contributed to the development of psychosis, due to the psychological stress", the jury concluded.

Days before his death, Jefferies was found by staff at HMP Coldingley, Surrey, "flushing his head down the toilet, naked on all fours, and barking like a dog", the jury was told.

Over nine days, as Jefferies became "floridly psychotic", staff on several occasions neglected to call the mental health team or seek medical help.

"The proper response would have been to ensure his immediate safety by putting him on constant supervision and taken him to an external place of safety owing to Coldingley's unsuitable provision of safer cells. That none of this was done represents a serious failure," the jury concluded.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) also contributed to Jefferies' death by failing to put in place systems to respond to family concerns, the jury said.