Jail 'wrong place for ill woman'

Petra Blakesby had 92 incidents of self harm recorded in jail

A mentally ill woman who made more than 90 attempts to harm or kill herself while in jail should never have been locked up, an inquest jury has said.

Petra Blanksby, 19, from Chesterfield, was on remand in New Hall Prison, Wakefield on a charge of arson with intent to endanger life.

She died in Pinderfields Hospital several days after trying to strangle herself in the jail in November 2003.

Jurors at Wakefield Coroner's Court said prison was "inappropriate".

Giving a narrative verdict the jurors said there appeared to be no infrastructure in the forensic mental health service for people with Petra's problems.

They said: "Prison was not an appropriate place in view of Petra's diagnosis."

Suicide bids

Ms Blanksby was sent to New Hall prison in July 2003 and was found hanging in her cell on 19 November. She died five days later in hospital.

Of the 130 days she was in prison on remand there were 92 recorded attempts by her to self harm or commit suicide.

The jury heard Ms Blakesby had been abused as a child and taken into care when she was younger than 10 years old.

She had harmed herself many times including stabbing herself, overdosing and slashing herself with blades.

The inquest heard she had previously set her hair on fire and at one point had swallowed eight razor blades.

West Yorkshire coroner David Hinchliff is to write to the Department of Health and the Prison Service saying there should be a joined up policy to deal with people who are mentally ill.