Prisoner suicide was preventable

Ms Irvine was in Maghaberry prison

The suicide of a woman in Maghaberry prison in March 2004 could have been prevented, a jury has found.

The coroner's court heard the prison system failed Roseanne Irvine, 34, who was found hanging in her cell, even though she was on suicide watch.

The jury found there was a severe lack of communication, a failure to manage the suicide watch system, and a lack of health care for female prisoners.

The coroner is to write to the Prison Service head and the NI secretary.

John Leckey said he would be asking them to give appropriate consideration to the points raised by the jury.

Ms Irvine suffered from mental problems and alcohol dependency, and had tried to kill herself before while in custody.

The mother of a young daughter, she was on remand on an arson charge when she died.

'Very sad'

Her sister, Josephine Joyce, said it was "very sad that anybody can treat a human being like that".

"I just hope that nobody else is ever treated this way again," she said.

Her sister Josephine said she hoped this could never happen again

Prison Service director Robin Masefield expressed his regret at the death of Ms Irvine.

He admitted there had been failings in the past, but said they were working to implement the 30 recommendations that were contained in a report commissioned after her death.

"Within the service, we have, of course, moved the women from Maghaberry to Ash House in Hydebank Wood in 2004," he said.

"Perhaps most significantly, last September we updated our overall suicide and self harm policy."

Suicide watch

For 10 years, Ms Irvine had been in hospital on an almost monthly basis being treated for depression and suicide attempts.

She suffered from a personality disorder, and the court was told she should never have been sent to prison.

Just over a week after arriving in jail, Ms Irvine threatened to kill herself.

She was placed on suicide watch and should have seen a doctor a day later, but that appointment was cancelled.

On the morning of 3 March 2004, for a second time she was not seen by a doctor.

She took an overdose later in the day but was not sent to hospital.

That evening, she was found hanged in her cell.