JT’s story – the failures by prison healthcare.
Becky Randel represented the family of JT at a recent inquest, following his tragic death after a period of restraint during a mental health crisis. The inquest highlighted the critical role of healthcare provision within prisons, and the potentially fatal consequences when prison officers and healthcare professionals lack appropriate training, or fail to apply it when someone is at risk.
In November 2023, JT sadly died on his first night in prison. JT was taken to HMP Elmley, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, on remand after committing an offence whilst suffering from poor mental health. JT was a proud father of four children who adored him, as well as a well-loved member of his wider family. His cousin, Norelle, read out a heartfelt pen portrait at the inquest, explaining that:
"He also faced his own struggles with mental health, which sometimes made life difficult for him. Even on the hard days, his love for his children and family never changed. You could always tell when he was struggling, but he never gave up. He always tried his best. His strength showed in the way he kept going and in how deeply he loved."
The Inquest and Legal Representation
JT’s mother instructed RWK Goodman to represent the family at the inquest. Becky Randel and Lily Sainsbury guided the family through the inquest before and during, with Keio Yoshida from Doughty Street Chambers acting as the barrister for the family during the final inquest hearing.
The inquest ran for four weeks in November – December 2025 at Kent and Medway’s Coroner’s Court.
Findings and Failures in Care
The jury ultimately concluded that neglect (gross failure to provide basic care) contributed to the death of JT. JT became unresponsive and died during a prolonged period of restraint by multiple prison custody officers, whilst he was suffering from acute behavioural disturbance (ABD). The jury found that approximately 4 hours after being detained in the first night centre in the prison, concerns were raised after it was noticed that his behaviour had significantly altered. A decision was made to transfer JT to the inpatient department of the prison, and healthcare nurses were called by the prison officers during the restraint who became concerned for JT’s mental health.
The jury found that there were a number of failures by prison healthcare including:
- A failure to recognise that JT was suffering from ABD
- A failure to recognise that this was a medical emergency
- A failure to call for an ambulance
Prevention of Future Deaths Report and Family Response
The nature and manner of JT’s restraint was also scrutinised during the inquest and this included incidences of unapproved restraint methods and inappropriate actions and language of prison officers.
After the inquest, the Assistant Coroner deemed it necessary to publish a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report which repeated his concerns shared during the inquest. This is yet to be published.
Commenting on the outcome and representation, JT’s family said:
‘This is the outcome and more we all wanted the jury to conclude, so thank you Keio, Lily and Becky for all of your support… we could not have done it without you’.
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