A 26-yr-old prisoner who tried to take his own life was delayed getting medical treatment after the paramedics transporting him became stuck in a lift at Midlands Prison, a new investigation has revealed, reports The Mirror.
The inmate was taken to Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise once the electrical fault was resolved, but he was pronounced dead within 15 minutes of arriving.
Earlier medical assistance had already been postponed because prison staff did not respond to a call system alert triggered by the prisoner for 38 minutes before he was found unresponsive in his cell, reports The Mirror.
An inquiry by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) concluded that it seemed the call from the inmate’s cell had been acknowledged by someone in the class office, but no action was taken for more than 30 minutes.
The OIP was sent a letter signed by 50 fellow prisoners, accusing a named officer of being responsible for the man’s death, claiming warnings about his mental health had been ignored.
A fellow inmate said the deceased had told this officer just over a week before his death that he was “going to kill himself” and had requested to be moved to a padded cell, reports The Mirror.
The prisoner said the man had wrapped a flag around his neck during this interaction, and alleged the officer brushed him off and told him to return to his cell. However, prison staff gave differing accounts.
The investigation noted that the deceased was serving cumulative sentences totalling just under five years, and had been due for release on August 2, 2025. His death occurred on July 17, 2023, reports The Mirror.
His family told the OIP they did not believe he would deliberately harm himself, adding that his sister had spoken with him by phone earlier that day and had no reason to worry about his mental state.
His cellmate also said he seemed to be in “great form” that afternoon as they played video games together. When the cells were unlocked at around 2.10pm for recreation, the man stayed back to make a phone call to his brother, reports The Mirror.
At around 3.30pm, as cells were being unlocked again for inmates to return, a prison officer noticed a flashing red call light. He tried to enter the cell but found the door blocked by a mattress.
Once inside, he found the man suspended from a bunk bed with a ligature tied around his neck. The alarm was raised, and he was placed in the recovery position. Medical staff arrived at 3.38pm and began CPR, but described his face as “blue and swollen” and were unable to detect a pulse, reports The Mirror.
Paramedics reached the scene around 3.54pm and attempted to transport him by stretcher. However, they became stuck in a lift due to a tripped electrical switch. They were freed after roughly five minutes and brought him to Midlands Regional Hospital, where he was declared dead shortly after arrival.
The OIP has recommended that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) develop a standard operating procedure for cell call alerts, as well as a suicide prevention policy and wider strategy, reports The Mirror.
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