'His life ended in prison because of that label: IPP'

Mother says indefinite jail term contributed to son's death

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

For nine years, Haydar Jefferies lived under the shadow of his indefinite jail term. He knew he could be hauled back to prison at any time for even the tiniest infraction. “I can’t even spit on the street,” he would tell his brother, fearfully, after he was freed in 2012 after serving six years for an assault under an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail term.

Despite the weight of the now-abolished sentence hanging over him, the publican thrived, as he spent almost a decade rebuilding his life and transforming his Oxfordshire pub and B&B into a community hub. “He was a decent man that anybody could be proud of,” his brother said, recalling the “loving and generous” brother who always had a smile on his face.

However, Haydar’s worst fears were realised when, still reeling from the sudden death of his husband Andrew from a heart attack, someone made a serious allegation about him to the police.

He was arrested in the middle of the night in January 2022 and hauled back to prison. Within months, police confirmed they had dropped its investigation into the complaint, which the family say was entirely false. But under the terms of the IPP sentence, which has been described as “psychological torture” by the UN, he could be held indefinitely until the Parole Board deemed him fit for release.

He languished for more than a year as his mental health drastically deteriorated. By 28 February the following year, he was observed naked on all fours in his cell barking like a dog, in the throes of severe depression and suffering acute psychosis. Staff at HMP Coldingley, in Surrey, did not provide him with any medical attention.

The following morning, he tried to take his own life. He died in hospital several days later, aged 50. This month an inquest found that a score of failures contributed to his death, including a gross failure by prison staff to procure him basic medical attention, amounting to neglect.