Ahmed Alshbli, held for harassment, died after attempting suicide on his first night at HMP Durham. A report highlights critical failings.
He was from Syria but lived in the UK since 2018. It was his first time in jail, and he said he had no mental health issues. He seemed tearful when booked.
That night, before 10 PM, they found him. He had tried to end his life in his cell. Staff tried to revive him and called an ambulance. He died in a hospital eight days later, on November 10, when they turned off his life support.
The Prison Ombudsman released a report showing he had a suicide warning form. The form detailed suicidal behavior at court and on the way to prison. The staff did not initially access this form, but an officer pointed him to other support methods.
The report said it was his first time in custody, and he had questions about how prison worked. The officer answered his questions. He said he did not seem like a risk, even though he knew about the suicide form. However, he could not see the details from his mobile role. He told Alshbli about support options, including trained prisoners and the Samaritans. He also advised talking to staff.
Later that day, a nurse met with Alshbli. She also could not access his records, including the suicide warning form. The report said Alshbli was in low spirits, and he said he had no mental health issues. Despite this, he felt suicidal.
Alshbli told the nurse he did not plan to harm himself and mentioned his son as a reason to live. But he felt he had lost everything: his family, house, car, and job were gone. The nurse started special watch procedures, and staff checked on him every 30 minutes. She explained available support, and that someone from mental health would see him soon.
At 8:01 PM, an officer checked on Alshbli. He was sitting on the bottom bunk, and a bed sheet slightly hid him. Officers removed a screen tied to his bed and told him not to tie anything there. A nurse said he seemed happy and told her he was not trying to harm himself. They did not change how often they checked him.
Staff checked on Alshbli at 9 PM and 9:30 PM. Then, at 9:58 PM, they found him. He tried to end his life. The Ombudsman noted issues accessing information and some poor decisions.
The report says a staff member had all the data and interviews new arrivals. The staff member did not think special watch was needed because Alshbli said he did not really mean to harm himself, despite evidence to the contrary. The report found the staff member’s decisions unacceptable and that they fell below expected standards. If the staff member still worked there, they would suggest an investigation.
The report recommended reviewing procedures. The Governor and Head of Healthcare should check information access. All staff need access to digital records. This includes suicide forms and prison records.