A man suffering with a psychiatric medical condition died in his jail cell after a “systems failure”, his inquest heard yesterday.
Sean Hayes Barrett passed away six days before his 32nd birthday while he was being held on remand at Limerick Prison between April 16 and May 5, 2017.
His family said they have still not been told why he was arrested.
Prior to his incarceration, Mr Hayes Barrett spent five weeks in a psychiatric ward at University Hospital Limerick.
He was on medication to treat signs of suicidal ideation, but while he was being held in prison he was not given adequate doses of his medication.
Mr Hayes Barrett, who had no previous convictions, was found dead in his cell on May 5, 2017.
A postmortem revealed he died by asphyxia consistent with a ligature around his neck.
A number of prison officers who were on duty at the jail on the night, gave evidence they had no prior knowledge of Mr Hayes Barrett’s psychiatric medical history.
They said they were “not aware” he was on a list of “special observations” prisoners, who as part of the jail’s protocols, required they be checked every 15 minutes. The inquest heard Mr Hayes Barrett should have been checked 36 times, but he was checked on only nine occasions.
He told a loved one during a recorded telephone call from the prison that his mental health was suffering because he was being kept in a cell on his own.
Governor of Limerick Prison Mark Kennedy said: “We weren’t 100% the officers on the night got the up-to-date special obs list.”
Sean’s death was a “landmark case” which proved to be a “watershed” for the prison service that led to a “root and branch review” of how prisons deal with vulnerable prisoners, it was heard.
New protocols have been implemented to prevent such a tragedy occurring again.
Coroner John McNamara on Friday recorded an open verdict.
The Hayes Barrett family said: “Sean had never been in any trouble in his life. He’s never been convicted of a single criminal offence.
“Despite this, he found himself in Limerick Prison where after being deprived of his medication he took his own life.
“We are satisfied with the open verdict in Sean’s death and we are happy to hear many others are safer as a result in the changes made since, and because of, Sean’s loss.
“We will miss and love Sean for ever.”
