Staff at Leyland prison receive suicide prevention training after death of drone drug delivery kingpin

Measures to prevent suicide have been tightened up at HMP following the death of a prisoner known to be the mastermind behind the delivery of drugs to the jail by drone.

Johnpaul Digweed - know in the criminal underground as ‘Diorpaw’ was serving a 25-year sentence for supplying huge amounts of heroin and cocaine in the north west.

He was jailed in 2022 after he moved 40kgs of class A drugs using an encrypted communications network known as ‘WhatsApp for criminals’.

Throughout his time in Garth, it was suspected Digweed was organising drone deliveries of drugs and mobile phones to the prison.

In February 2023, it was estimated Digweed was making up to £500,000 every couple of months from his prison cell.

An report on Garth from HM Inspectorate of Prisons revealed that prisoners referred to the facility as ‘the airport’ because of the number of drones being flown in each day.

Many windows were broken to allow prisoners access to the landed drones.

Digweed told a nurse he had no issues with drugs, suicide and self harm when he was moved to HMP Garth on July 8, 2022.

However, while he was in HMP Leeds, Digweed self-referred to the mental health team as he had witnessed another prisoner trying to cuts his throat and t was affecting his sleep, mood, appetite and ability to quote.

He refused mental health intervention and denied having any thoughts of self-harm.

However, a report stated that on December 8, 2021, Mr Digweed told his partner in a prison telephone call that he was worried about the length of sentence he might receive and said he would hang himself if he was sentenced to 30 years.

Between September 21 and 24, 2023 in Garth, Digweed was suspected to be under the influence of an illicit substance and tested positive for cocaine.

During this period, he harmed himself by making superficial cuts to his chest and also injured himself by kicking his door. He was offered support from the substance misuse team at the prison, but declined to work with them.

There is no evidence that staff considered starting Prison Service suicide and self-harm support procedures, known as ACCT.

On September 27, 2023, staff removed Digweed’s prison laptop after they noticed he had damaged the screen. A prison disciplinary hearing (adjudication) was opened and adjourned.

The hearing was not completed before Mr Digweed died and he did not receive a replacement laptop - meaning he had less control over ordering items from the prison shop, adding credit to his prison telephone account, choosing meals and making applications as prisoners without laptops must use kiosks on the wing.

On March 10, 2024, Digweed asked to be assessed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A nurse replied that this would not be possible as he had no indications it was necessary.

Digweed’s prison telephone calls from prison between April 9-12 indicated that his relationship with his partner was under strain.

Staff and prisoners who knew Digweed well said that he appeared in a good mood and his normal self on April 12, 2023. He was last seen alive during a routine count of prisoners at 7.39pm on that day.

At 5.17am on April 13, his observation panel was covered during the early morning routine roll check. It was still covered at a welfare check at 9.07am. The staff responsible for checking him took no action.

At about 11.30am, an officer unlocked Digweed, but did not look into his cell. Shortly afterwards, Digweed was found hanged in his cell by a fellow prisoner. Officers started CPR, but stopped when nurses discovered unequivocal evidence that Mr Digweed had died. Paramedics attended and confirmed death soon afterwards.

A report report found that Digweed had no significant history of attempted suicide or self-harm and relatively few factors that indicated he might be at risk.

It states: “Overall, there was no indication that he was at heightened or imminent risk of harming himself in the period leading to his death”.

However, it makes a series of criticisms, including:

- “There is no evidence that ACCT monitoring was considered as it should have been after Mr Digweed behaved uncharacteristically over a period of three or four days in September 2023, despite him making made superficial cuts to his chest and injuring his ankle and foot repeatedly kicking his cell door. This was a missed opportunity to identify risk.”

- The roll check, welfare check and unlocking of Mr Digweed’s cell were not completed in line with national or local guidance. The report states: “We are satisfied that the prison has dealt with the individuals making the checks but we are concerned there is a more widespread problem with how staff respond to finding covered observation panels at Garth and that this means checks are not being done properly and records are not accurate.”

- The fact that Digweed was without a prison laptop for over six months before he died. The report states: “This impacted on his ability to control aspects of his daily prison life and might have negatively impacted his mental health and ability to maintain family ties.”

- The clinical reviewer concluded that the healthcare Digweed received for his physical health was “responsive and equivalent to that he would have received in the community”, but that his mental healthcare was moderate and only partially equivalent on the basis that he was not reviewed after harming himself in September 2023 and the nurse responding to his request for an ADHD assessment showed “insufficient clinical curiosity”.

An inquest recorded that Digweed had hanged himself.

However, Lancashire coroner Christopher Long asked the prison service to provide assurances that steps were being taken to prevent similar deaths.

Now a spokesperson for HMP Prison and Probation Service has said staff at Garth will receive extra ACCT training.

In a letter to the corner, the spokesperson said: “Every death in custody is a tragedy and the safety of those in our care is my absolute priority.

“You have expressed concerns regarding the provision of Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) refresher training, and the assurance of notices to staff being read and understood including on welfare checks.

“As you are aware, whilst ACCT refresher training is not a mandatory requirement, all staff receive initial ACCT training as part of their induction package. I have received assurance from the Governor at HMP Garth that action is being taken to strengthen local arrangements to reinforce and assess staff knowledge of ACCT processes.

“The prison have begun introducing daily knowledge check sessions for both operational and non-operational staff, and additional staffing resources are being secured to support the delivery of this initiative.

“Attendance and completion of the knowledge check sessions will be required and formally recorded, with staff providing written confirmation they have attended a session, and that the content is understood.

“A training log will be maintained by the prison’s Learning and Capabilities Team to monitor attendance and completion rates. These sessions will provide ongoing practical guidance on identifying and managing prisoners at risk, reinforcing key ACCT principles and processes as well as conducting welfare checks and action to be taken should a blocked observation panel be observed.

“I hope the measures outlined above provide you with reassurance that learning and appropriate action has been taken from the circumstances of Mr Digweed’s death.”