Milton Keynes prisoner critically ill after '˜suicide jump' from third floor cells at Woodhill jail

Woodhill prison has once again come under fire after a suicidal 20-year-old jumped from a third floor landing in full view of guards.

Liam Suleman survived but has life-threatening brain injuries and fractures to his spine.

He is currently in a coma at John Radcliffe hospital.

Liam had been at Woodhill for just three days after being transferred from Ashworth high-security psychiatric hospital.

HMP WoodhillHMP Woodhill
HMP Woodhill

Liam’s mum Lianna Throup is now demanding an investigation into why her son – who has suffered years of severe mental health problems – was not put on suicide watch.

“He has psychotic episodes and is a danger to himself. His arms are covered in scars from self-harming. Yet Woodhill put him in a normal cell in a normal block and left him to it,” said Lianna.

She claims officers told her Liam’s paperwork from Ashworth had not arrived so they decided to carry out their own assessment.

“Whatever they did, they failed my son,” said Lianna. ‘He was a very, very poorly young man. The prison service and the NHS have let him down badly.”

She said CCTV shows Liam walking out of his cell just after 9am, climbing on to the balcony railings and jumping in full view of everybody.

Liam was on remand for attacking a worker during a psychotic episode at a previous mental health hospital.

His family do not know why he was moved to Woodhill from Ashcroft and were not informed of the move.

HMP Woodhill has previously been dubbed ‘suicide jail’ after seven inmates took their life in just one year.

Between 2011 and 2016, 20 prisoners killed themselves at Woodhill. This is by far the highest death toll in any UK prison over a comparable period.

A report by former prisons and probation ombudsman Stephen Shaw in December 2017 said prisoners’ lives were at risk at Woodhill due to staff shortages.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “A full investigation is underway following an incident at HMP Woodhill which resulted in a prisoner being taken to hospital to receive emergency treatment. Our thoughts are with the prisoner and their family at this difficult time.”

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