Man who stabbed step-brother in the back dies in Leyland prison cell
Covid-19 had a traumatic impact on the prisoner, causing him anxiety and flashbacks.
A man who snuck into his step-brother’s home and attempted murder him, has been found dead in his Leyland prison cell.
An investigation was launched into the circumstances surrounding the death of Brendan Teague, 46, at HMP Garth in October 2023, and the results have been published this week.
What happened?
On March 29, 2017, Brendan Teague was remanded to prison, charged with attempted murder, and taken to HMP Durham. This was not his first time in prison. Reports from the time reveal that he tricked his way into the North Shields home of unsuspecting step-brother Anthony Teague, before brutally plunging a knife into him.
On October 27, 2017, he was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and in November 2017, was transferred to HMP Garth. He had a history of attempted suicide and self-harm, substance misuse and depression with panic attacks.
A Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report states: “Mr Teague had a significant history of using substances, attempted suicide and self-harm, depression and anxiety. In December 2020, he contracted COVID-19 and was admitted to hospital. This had a traumatic impact on him and he suffered from anxiety, that later affected his day to day living in prison.”
In May 2023, Mr Teague referred himself to the mental health team because of his anxiety. He was assessed and diagnosed with a high level of depression and severe anxiety. He was referred to a psychologist and from July, regularly received one to one support.
During his time at HMP Garth, Mr Teague was supported under ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) procedures on two occasions, in May and September 2023. On both occasions he reported feelings of anxiety. Staff stopped ACCT monitoring on September 27 and Mr Teague was not being supported by ACCT procedures when he died.
Illicit drugs
On the morning of October 7, during a routine check, prison staff found Mr Teague hanged in his cell. Prison and healthcare staff provided emergency care. At 6.09am, paramedics confirmed that Mr Teague had died.
The post-mortem found that Mr Teague had taken olanzapine, mirtazapine and clonazepam before he died. None of these medications had been prescribed to him, so he must have obtained them illicitly.
Findings
A PPO report states that broadly, Mr Teague received good support from the ACCT process and says: “We do not think that there was evidence that Mr Teague was at imminent risk of suicide at the time”, however, it notes that HMP Garth is currently investigating these issues.
It says that neither prisoners nor prison staff observed any obvious signs that Mr Teague was in crisis in the ten day period leading to his death and: “We have concluded that he hid the extent of his anxiety, and it was reasonable that staff did not identify him to be an imminent risk of suicide.”
Adrian Usher, PPO ombudsman, said Mr Teague was appopriately supported under suicide and self-harm procedures on two occasions in May and September 2023, received “good” one-to-one psychology input to help him manage his anxiety, and “generally staff were responsive and supportive to his needs.”
The clinical reviewer concluded that the healthcare Mr Teague received at Garth was of a reasonable standard and equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community.
Mr Usher said that the prison is taking proactive steps to reduce drug supply and the diversion of medication. He has made no recommendations to the prison.
Help is available
Call 999 or go to A&E now if:
· someone's life is at risk - for example they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose
· you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe
A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone's time.
If you are in need of crisis support please contact your local crisis team, click the link below - Available 24/7: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline
Other sources of support:
- Out of hrs Listening service: 0800 915 4640. Available Monday to Friday 7pm -11pm and Saturday to Sunday 4pm - 11pm.
- Wellbeing Text service: Text Hello to 07860 022 846. Available Monday to Friday 10am-11pm and Saturday to Sunday 4pm - 11pm.
- Samaritans. Call: 116 123 (open 24 hours a day) or email: [email protected] for a reply within 24hrs
- SHOUT. Text SHOUT to 85258
- SANEline - 0300 304 7000 or [email protected]
- National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK - 0800 587 0800