Source · Deaths in custody

PPO Fatal Incident Reports

6,563 incidents 5,801 published 1,698 recommendations 1,676 self-inflicted 3,427 natural causes

Deaths in custody investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Among the incidents indexed here, 26% are recorded as self-inflicted. Source: PPO.

Incidents

204 records

Timothy Frank

HMP RanbyDate of death 10 February 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 16 January 2026

Christopher Walton

HMP RanbyDate of death 6 February 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published7 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 9 January 2026

Lorna Carter

HMP/YOI StyalDate of death 27 January 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 23 January 2026

Brian Kemp

HMP Fosse WayDate of death 26 January 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 28 November 2025

Alan Hughes

HMP RisleyDate of death 6 January 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 27 November 2025

Brian Hayes

HMP/YOI High DownDate of death 1 January 2025

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 19 September 2025

Jeffrey Quirk

HMP The VerneDate of death 19 December 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 9 October 2026

Carl Forrester

HMP ExeterDate of death 13 November 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 October 2025

John Corran

Isle of ManDate of death 12 November 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 4 June 2025

John Freer

HMP NorthumberlandDate of death 29 October 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 29 May 2025

David Evans

HMP Fosse WayDate of death 26 July 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 1 August 2025

Phillip Sheridan

HMP Full SuttonDate of death 21 July 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 September 2025

Michelle Saunders

HMP LittleheyDate of death 9 July 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 21 February 2025

Raymond Paterson

HMP Fosse WayDate of death 1 July 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 9 January 2025

Peter Honnor

HMP WandsworthDate of death 27 June 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 24 November 2025

John Chambers

HMP HullDate of death 17 June 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 19 December 2024

Paul Dixon

HMP PrestonDate of death 16 June 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 5 December 2025

Anthony Matthews

HMP Hollesley BayDate of death 13 June 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 11 April 2025

David Baxter

HMP WealstunDate of death 26 May 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published5 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 5 February 2025

Edward Lomas

HMP PentonvilleDate of death 22 May 2024

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 April 2025

Catherine Botwright

HMP/YOI New HallDate of death 18 May 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 19 December 2024

Igor Vujkovic

HMP MaidstoneDate of death 11 May 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 13 March 2025

Stephen Jones

HMP PeterboroughDate of death 5 May 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 3 October 2025

Terrence Clover

HMP SwalesideDate of death 27 February 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 22 August 2024

Henry Bangs

HMP FranklandDate of death 2 February 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 6 December 2024

John Leadbitter

HMP HullDate of death 31 January 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 4 July 2025

Gerard Browne

HMP WymottDate of death 19 January 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 6 December 2024

Kevin Giles

HMP Hollesley BayDate of death 13 January 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 21 February 2025

Frederick Williams

HMP The VerneDate of death 12 January 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 20 June 2025

Kim Chapman

HMP SendDate of death 6 January 2024

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 16 August 2024

John Kelk

HMP WakefieldDate of death 30 December 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 22 July 2024

Azhar Hussain

HMP BedfordDate of death 27 December 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 12 September 2025

John Rigby

HMP WymottDate of death 17 December 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 8 August 2025

Jamie Funnell

HMP LewesDate of death 16 December 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 October 2025

Sidney Hughes

HMP WymottDate of death 24 November 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 11 October 2024

Solomon Bamidele

HMP PentonvilleDate of death 16 November 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 December 2025

Wolten, Alan

HMP LiverpoolDate of death 10 November 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 24 May 2024

Roy Whitehouse

HMP OakwoodDate of death 21 October 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 8 November 2024

George Haslam

HMP WymottDate of death 21 October 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 11 October 2024

Darren Barker

HMP PeterboroughDate of death 12 September 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 17 October 2024

John Woodland

HMP FranklandDate of death 5 September 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 11 August 2025

Frank Salmon

HMP Channings WoodDate of death 6 August 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 22 July 2024

Daniel Rocks

HMP HullDate of death 26 July 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 18 October 2024

Barry Wemyss

HMP NorthumberlandDate of death 17 July 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 24 July 2024

Anthony Kwan

HMP Channings WoodDate of death 8 July 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published3 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 28 August 2025

Lee Kenyon

HMP AltcourseDate of death 24 June 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 20 December 2024

Satish Kumar

HMP OakwoodDate of death 15 May 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 14 July 2025

Glody Muyeki

HMP AylesburyDate of death 15 May 2023

Other non-naturalInvestigation: Report published2 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 21 February 2025

Simon Lightfoot

HMP DovegateDate of death 29 April 2023

Self-inflictedInvestigation: Report published1 recommendation indexed

PPO entry published 7 August 2025

Joseph Louis

HMP Wormwood ScrubsDate of death 26 April 2023

Natural causesInvestigation: Report published4 recommendations indexed

PPO entry published 12 December 2024

Learning & thematic publications

112 cross-establishment publications

Learning Lessons Bulletins (50), thematic reviews (2), consultation responses (11), Policy into Practice (5), annual reports (7) and FOI responses from the Ombudsman's disclosure log (37): the systemic patterns the Ombudsman draws from many investigations.

TitleTypeDateSource
The number of complaints received by the PPO from 1 January 2023 onwards by people held in immigration removal centres and in short-term holding facilities FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
Annual Report 2025 to 2026 Annual report Jul 2026 PDF
To provide information on prisons in the United Kingdom with forty or more self-inflicted deaths in the last ten years, alongside their total FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The three English prisons with the highest number of self-inflicted deaths between 2016 to 2026 (excluding HMP Leeds), with annual breakdowns FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The total number of prison deaths that occurred while the individual was located in a segregation unit per calendar from 2021 to 2025 FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The number of drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales from 2010 to 2025 FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
A breakdown of the epilepsy deaths in Welsh prisons from the PPO’s Learning Lessons Bulletin on epilepsy deaths FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
The number of people held in prison, either serving a sentence or on remand, who have died by suicide between 2016 to 2026, broken down by each prison in Yorkshire FOI response Jul 2026 PDF
PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate  Consultation response Jun 2026 PDF
The number of upheld complaints made to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) about accommodation from 2024 to 2025. FOI response Apr 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons Learning Lessons Bulletin Mar 2026 PDF
HMP Elmley prisoner deaths by year from 2010 to 2025 FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
Complaints to the PPO about inadequate access to sanitary products since 2020 FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
The number of health-related deaths in prison FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
How many complaints did IPCI receive from prisoners during 2024? FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
How many complaints has the PPO received regarding lost property by HMP Peterborough FOI response Feb 2026 PDF
Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy Learning Lessons Bulletin Nov 2025 PDF
Annual Report 2024 to 2025 Annual report Jul 2025 PDF
The number of deaths linked to drug taking in prisons in England and Wales between 2020 to 2024 FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
How many prisoner deaths has the PPO been notified of each year, or started investigating, where there is a suspicion the death was drug-related? FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The number of prisoners who died where no care plan was in place as found in PPO fatal incident investigations (1 February 2023 to 16 September 2023) FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
Provide a list of deaths by suicide in English prisons since 2022 FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The PPO response time for all cases in last three and current financial year FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The number of self-inflicted deaths recorded in prisons from 2019 to 2024 FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
The number of individuals in prisons, young offender institutions and approved premises in England and Wales and/or within 14 days of being released from prison were at the time of their deaths subject to an IPP FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
To confirm when the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s (PPO) Yarl’s Wood special investigation report was completed FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
To provide the total number of Prevention of Future Deaths (PFDs or Regulation 28 letters) FOI response Jun 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF
Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints Policy into Practice Mar 2025 PDF