Last updated 16:12, Thursday, 04 December 2008

AN inmate killed himself three days after being transferred to Haverigg Prison, an inquest has heard.

Christopher Miller, 26, originally of St Anne’s, Lancashire, was found hanged in his cell by prison officers on the morning of October 28 last year.

At an inquest held at Whitehaven today (Thursday), a jury formally ruled that Mr Miller had taken his own life.

Mr Miller was sentenced to 90 days’ custody at Preston Court last September for forgery, assault and criminal damage. After two weeks at Preston Prison, he requested a move to Haverigg, where he had spent some time during a previous sentence.

However, four days into his time at Haverigg, he was found by prison officers dead in his single-occupancy cell, having hanged himself using a bedsheet during the previous night.

Peter Phizacklea, a senior prison officer at Haverigg, told the inquest: “If he had made us aware that he was in crisis then he would have been checked on more regularly like our other vulnerable people.” Mr Miller’s family and girlfriend confirmed that he had not spoken about harmful himself.

An independent report into the tragedy, written by Dr Barry Walker on behalf of the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, found that Mr Miller had suffered from depression and other emotional problems during his life.

It also concluded that, on occasion, prisoners being transferred to Haverigg are not satisfactorily assessed due to time constraints. Debbie Trotter, a governor at the prison, confirmed to the inquest that measures are now in place to give all new prisoners a full clinical assessment on arrival.