Brothers pay tribute to man who took own life in Holme House Prison
The siblings of a man who tragically ended his own life while in a Teesside prison have remembered him as a "loving person", following concerns raised about safeguarding after his death.
Gary Bell was serving time at HMP Holme House in Stockton when he was discovered unresponsive in his cell on Christmas Day 2019. The 44 year old was rushed to hospital but sadly passed away days later on December 28.
Gary had been handed a five and a half year sentence for arson at the beginning of 2018 and was transferred to HMP Holme House in February that same year. Less than two months prior to his death, Gary underwent a leg amputation due to recurring infections.
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An inquest into Gary's death revealed that he had found it difficult to deal with his recent amputation and took his own life while struggling with mental health issues.
The inquest also concluded that a contributing factor was the "failure to implement safeguarding measures". The inquest heard that Gary, a mechanic from Shotton Colliery, County Durham, was found "unresponsive" in his prison cell on December 25 2019 and was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees. On December 28, he tragically died as a result of brain injuries caused by hanging.
After a failure to implement necessary safety protocols in the prison, Gary's family enlisted the help of solicitor Helen Clifford. They started a personal injury lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice and G4S, the firm responsible for primary healthcare within the facility.
As they move forward with their legal action, Gary's brother James, aged 47, spoke fondly of him, recounting how troubles began in his teenage years after a romantic relationship ended. "He never touched a drop [of alcohol] until he was 18 years old" James shared with ChronicleLive.
"When it came to things like motorbikes and cars he was very clever, really good. He was a big, strapping lad, he could look after himself. But when [his relationship ended], I believe that was his downward spiral and we just couldn't get him back after that. But still, he was no harm to anybody, apart from himself. He was his own worst enemy and he hurt himself with drugs."
"But killing himself, I was shocked, because he was a tough lad and I never expected he would do that. But listening to the circumstances [leading up to his death] who could have blamed him? "
His leg amputation above the knee while in prison significantly impacted Gary's mental health. Reflecting on the accident that led to the amputation, James conveyed: "The way he [injured his leg] was ridiculous to be fair. Around 15 years ago he was fixing a rabbit hutch for our youngest brother. He jumped off the top and his shin bone went through his knee and hit his thigh bone."
"He had a lot of problems with it over the years, but because of his drug use, he never went to get it seen to or properly treated. His leg had fused in a bent position, so he suffered infection after infection."
Gary was the eldest of four brothers, leaving behind James, Colin, 45, and Lee, 41. Despite his struggles with addiction, James said he remained a caring person.
He added: "He was always into anything and had a lot of issues. But he was never any harm to any of us, he was a very loving person. If anybody ever needed him, he would do anything for anybody. He was that type of person."
Since Gary's suicide, a number of changes have been implemented in HMP Holme House. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Our sympathies remain with the friends and family of Gary Bell. Since Mr Bell's passing HMP Holme House has introduced new observation and monitoring procedures to ensure staff are better able to support prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm."
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