Prisoner was beaten to death for making racist comments

FELLOW INMATE 'STALKED' VICTIM BEFORE ATTACK

- By RUCSANDRA MOLDOVEANU

A PRISONER was murdered by a fellow inmate after he was overheard making racist comments.

Jonathan Thornton, 46, had been on B wing at HMP Nottingham for less than 24 hours when he was attacked by Andrew Thorpe, on June 28, 2024.

An inquest into Mr Thornton's death at Nottingham Coroner's Court yesterday was told Mr Thornton had been moved to B wing from the induction wing on the afternoon of June 27 after he was recalled to prison in breach of his licence.

Shortly before the cells were locked for the night, coroner Alexandra Pountney told the hearing that Mr Thornton made racist comments in the presence of three prison officers. The remarks were “general in nature and not directed at any one person”.

While delivering her conclusion, Ms Pountney said all three officers accepted the comments should have been escalated and that, having made them, Mr Thornton was at increased risk of assault.

The coroner found, however, that even if the comments were flagged, Mr Thornton would have been treated as standard risk, with a custodial manager telling the hearing that “in prison Utopia, he would have expected someone to speak to Mr Thornton “by the end of the day on June 28’ but that other tasks could have taken priority.

During the hearing, none of the witnesses told the coroner that Mr Thornton was at imminent risk of harm or that he should have been removed for his own protection.

Ms Pountney said: “I find, on balance, that the attack on June 28, 2024, was motivated by the making of racist remarks by Jonathan Thornton on June 27”

The court was told how Thorpe was “effectively stalking” Mr Thornton on the morning of the attack before the pair engaged in a brief conversation.