Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,470 incidents
5,745 published
1,502 recommendations
1,653 self-inflicted
3,404 natural causes
Deaths in custody investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. 26% of deaths are self-inflicted. Source: PPO.
Top recommendation themes
Learning & thematic publications
| Title | Type | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report 2025 to 2026 | Annual report | Jul 2026 | |
| PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate | Consultation response | Jun 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Nov 2025 | |
| Annual Report 2024 to 2025 | Annual report | Jul 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 11: Property complaints | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Emergency Response | Policy into Practice | Jan 2025 | |
| PPO response to the Independent Sentencing Review 2024/25 call for evidence | Consultation response | Jan 2025 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 19: Post-release death investigations 2 | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual report 2022-23 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual Report 2023-24 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Policy into practice: Use of force | Policy into Practice | Feb 2024 | |
| PPO response to the inquiry into prison population and capacity | Consultation response | Nov 2023 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 18: Self-inflicted deaths of IPP prisoners | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Sep 2023 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| PPO response to the inquiry into the Prison Operational Workforce | Consultation response | Jan 2023 | |
| Annual Report 2021-22 | Annual report | Oct 2022 | |
| Policy into Practice: Use of restraints on escort | Policy into Practice | Sep 2022 | |
| PPO Response to the Inquiry into IPP sentences | Consultation response | Jan 2022 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 16: Second wave COVID-19 related deaths | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Dec 2021 | |
| Annual Report 2020-21 | Annual report | Sep 2021 | |
| PPO responses to the Inquiry into Women in Prison | Consultation response | Aug 2021 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 15: COVID-19 PPO fatal incident investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Feb 2021 |
Incidents
| Name | Establishment | Cause | Status | Date of death | Recs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Corkill | Isle of Man | Self-inflicted | Published | 24 Feb 2023 | 15 |
| Marc Uzzell | HMP Bristol | Natural | Published | 28 Dec 2022 | 4 |
| Ahmed Alshbli | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 10 Nov 2022 | 2 |
| Russell Irvine | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Nov 2022 | 5 |
| John Warry | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2022 | 10 |
| Anthony O’Connell | HMP Swaleside | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Sep 2022 | 9 |
| Thomas Oleisky | HMP Wealstun | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Sep 2022 | 5 |
| Sebastian Mularz | HMP Hull | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2022 | 6 |
| Marlon Burrows | HMP Garth | Other | Published | 16 Aug 2022 | 6 |
| John Reid | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 10 Aug 2022 | 5 |
| Max Marchant | HMP The Mount | Other | Published | 25 Jul 2022 | 13 |
| Neil McKenna | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 19 Jul 2022 | 2 |
| Tyrone Beresford | HMP The Mount | Other | Published | 14 Jul 2022 | 7 |
| Leon Cadman | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 12 Jul 2022 | 4 |
| Eileen McDonagh | HMP/YOI Styal | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Jul 2022 | 2 |
| Andrew Evans | HMP Lewes | Other | Published | 28 Jun 2022 | 5 |
| Charleston Cullen | HMP Nottingham | Natural | Published | 25 May 2022 | 3 |
| Wayne Bayley | HMP Pentonville | Other | Published | 17 May 2022 | 7 |
| Jeremie Simmons | HMP Wakefield | Self-inflicted | Published | 4 May 2022 | 6 |
| Ricardo Cotteral | HMP Sudbury | Homicide | Published | 24 Apr 2022 | 5 |
| Mehrban Hussain | HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Natural | Published | 1 Apr 2022 | 5 |
| James Bailey | HMP The Mount | Self-inflicted | Published | 1 Mar 2022 | 6 |
| Craig Steadman | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 27 Feb 2022 | 5 |
| Andrew Hill | HMP Holme House | Self-inflicted | Published | 3 Feb 2022 | 2 |
| Edward Teague | HMP Humber | Natural | Published | 22 Jan 2022 | 1 |
| John O’Driscoll | HMP Cardiff | Self-inflicted | Published | 29 Dec 2021 | 2 |
| Dylan Davies | HMP Cardiff | Other | Published | 28 Dec 2021 | 1 |
| David Wise | HMP Wandsworth | Other | Published | 15 Dec 2021 | 2 |
| William Roalfe | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 20 Nov 2021 | 9 |
| Maqsood Asif | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 18 Nov 2021 | 5 |
| David Mears | HMP Channings Wood | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2021 | 6 |
| Daniel Ayers | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 25 Jul 2021 | 14 |
| Keith Williams | HMP Dovegate | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Jul 2021 | 14 |
| Daniel Beckford | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 23 Jun 2021 | 6 |
| Shahrooz Ghassemian | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 21 Jun 2021 | 10 |
| Khyber Nasim | HMP Pentonville | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Jun 2021 | 3 |
| Sebastião Lucas | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 May 2021 | 6 |
| Peter Coulthard | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 23 Mar 2021 | 4 |
| Jason McQuoid | HMP Risley | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Mar 2021 | 5 |
| Eral Morgan | HMP Oakwood | Other | Published | 17 Feb 2021 | 3 |
| Clive Pinder | HMP Risley | Natural | Published | 17 Feb 2021 | 5 |
| Joshua Esberger | HMP Hull | Self-inflicted | Published | 11 Jan 2021 | 5 |
| Decland Mooney | HMP Cardiff | Natural | Published | 6 Dec 2020 | 3 |
| Robert Frith | HMP Berwyn | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Nov 2020 | 8 |
| Marek Witulski | HMP Peterborough | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Jul 2020 | 5 |
| Sean Huntroyd | HMP Winchester | Natural | Published | 7 May 2020 | 2 |
| Peter Tauroza | HMP Wandsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 6 Mar 2020 | 8 |
| Keith Turner | HMP Humber | Self-inflicted | Published | 9 Jan 2020 | 11 |
| Liridon Saliuka | HMP Belmarsh | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Jan 2020 | 15 |
| Thomas Moffett | HMP Preston | Natural | Published | 6 Aug 2019 | 5 |