Watchdog finds "no areas of concern" after Magilligan prisoner's death

By Rebecca Black

An ombudsman investigation into the death of a prisoner at Magilligan has recorded "no areas of concern".

Bernard Law, 44, died on March 25, 2017 at Magilligan Prison while serving a four-year sentence.

He was found to have died of natural causes and had suffered from heart disease.

Mr Law had been diagnosed with epilepsy, had had pseudo seizures related to stress and anxiety as well as a history of low mood and depression.

Issuing a report of her findings on Thursday, Dr Carroll said she had made three recommendations to the Northern Ireland Prison Services, but noted that none would have saved Mr Law's life.

The Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland Dr Lesley Carroll investigated his death as is routine for all deaths in custody.

"Following my investigation I have made three recommendations to the NI Prison Service, all of which have been accepted," she said.

"None of these would have made a difference to Mr Law's situation: they would not have saved his life. But their implementation will contribute to an improved system of support for vulnerable prisoners."

The recommendations were that the governor should ensure that the required headcounts are conducted, that all relevant information pertaining to a prisoner's continuity of care should be recorded on a named system and made available to the receiving prison, and that effective hot and cold debrief meetings are conducted following a death in custody.

The Prisoner Ombudsman concluded that there were no areas of concern identified as contributing to Mr Law's death.

However, the report also notes that Mr Law's family "continue to have concerns about the level of care provided to Mr Law while he was in Magilligan prison".

IMAGE: Magilligan Prison (Pic via Google Maps)