Prisoner's death was misadventure

A prisoner with a history of self-harm and depression was found hanging in his cell 11 days after being moved from a hospital wing, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Thomas, 26, was discovered at Bedford Prison with a sheet from his bed tied to the bars of his cell window.

The jury at Bedford Magistrates Court returned verdict of death by misadventure at the end of the two day inquest.

He was moved to a normal prison wing on 19 September 2002 and put on suicide watch.

But on 30 September, Thomas, from Morfa, Llanelli, was found dead in his cell by a warden.

Cry for help

His mother Margaret Thomas, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire told the hearing she felt the staff at Bedford Prison had done all they could to help her son.

"We would like to offer our thanks to the prisoners and prison staff who gave Gareth all the support they could," she said.

"We feel that prison staff did their best and we would ask for more resources and staff to support vulnerable prisoners."

She added: "We are still coming to terms with the loss of Gareth, who was a wonderful son, father and uncle.

"His death was a tragedy for us".

She told the inquest on Thursday that Thomas had tried to slash his wrists in the past but she believed he was making a cry for help rather than an attempt on his own life.

Thomas was jailed on 19 August 2002 for four months after assaulting a former girlfriend.