A murderer died after being sent back behind bars because he went out drinking.
Anthony Hubbard was released to secure accommodation after spending almost three decades behind bars for killing his partner's daughter.
But he ended up back in Altcourse after breaching a curfew by 45 minutes.
He died while still an inmate five months later, with an investigation into his death raising concerns about the standard of care he received.
Remorseless Hubbard was locked up in December 1992 for the murder of an 18 month old girl.
His conviction came after he had shamelessly attempted to lay blame for her death on her older siblings.
Documents held in the National Archives explain his sentence followed the killing of the child, the daughter of the woman he was living with, on September 30, 1991.
They state: "Death was caused by violent shaking and by throwing the child against a hard surface so that he fractured her skull.
"The defendant had taken drink and drugs.
"He showed no remorse and sought at trial to lay the blame on one or other of two elder children of the family."
Hubbard was initially sentenced to life with a minimum of 12 years - though that was increased to 14 years following legal submissions.
He ended up serving just under 27 years behind bars, being released from Altcourse in December 2019.
Freed on life licence, he was placed at Wordsworth House Approved Premises in Lincoln.
But on February 10, 2020, Hubbard was recalled to prison after breaching the conditions of his licence when he returned to Wordsworth House 45 minutes after his curfew time and having drunk alcohol.
He was sent back to Altcourse where, through May, June and July he reported having difficulty breathing.
In July he was taken to Aintree Hospital and, following tests, was told he had developed a lung infection, emphysema and scarring in his lungs.
His condition deteriorated and at 8.20pm on July 27, he died.
A coroner has since concluded his death was due to lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis.
An investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, which reviews all prison deaths, concluded the care Hubbard received at Altcourse was "not equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community".
This centred on the findings that some consultations with Hubbard were not discussed with a registered nurse, and because Hubbard was not initially referred for review by a GP.
Four recommendations to Altcourse were made by the PPO. They were that the jail's head of healthcare should ensure:
- All prisoners are assessed and reviewed by suitably qualified staff
- All healthcare staff are trained to use the National Early Warning Scores system
- That when a member of healthcare staff documents they will add a prisoner to a waiting list to see a GP, they complete that action
- The importance of ensuring that referrals are made as documented is re-iterated
Altcourse, which is run by G4S, said it had taken action in relation to each of the recommendations, with training over the use of the National Early Warning Scores system set to be completed this month.
