Chesterfield man may have been threatened in prison before his cell death, inquest hears

A jury heard that Lowdham Grange prisoners regarded Lee Greenall as “a wrong ‘un” after seeing a TV documentary and linking it to him.

Greenall, who died aged 40 after being found in his cell at the prison in Nottinghamshire, had pleaded guilty to robbing an elderly woman in Somercotes.

He was given a 10-year prison term with four years on licence at a crown court in April 2014.

A prison officer told how he noticed a red mark on the right side of Greenall’s face on May 24, 2016, a few days before his death.

Greenall claimed to have slipped in his cell and banged his face but assistant coroner Ivan Cartwright asked the officer: “Did you suspect that he had been victim of assault?”

The officer David Jermy said that was “a possibility” and that he had reported the injury to health care staff. He told the hearing: “He didn’t present as upset.”

Barrister Sean Horstead, who represents Greenall’s family, asked whether there was an indication that the dead man had been “bullied.”

Prisoners had seen a documentary about a robbery and there was a suggestion some went “outside his cell, describing him as a ‘wrong un,’” said Mr Horstead.

Mr Jermy said: “He gave no indication that he was worried or concerned about anything. He seemed happy in his cell, lying on his bed, watching television, smoking, reading on the bed.”

Another prison officer Robert Blore recalled an incident two days after Greenall had been seen with the facial injury. On this occasion, he unlocked his cell so he could get an evening meal - only for Greenall to swear and say he wanted to remain inside.

The coroner referred to a logbook entry reading: “Rumour on wing he is under threat, managers made aware.” He asked Mr Blore: “Where did your information come from?”

Mr Blore replied: “Rumours from prisoners and passed to me from officers.”

He was not aware of a threat to Greenall and would have taken action if he had, Mr Blore told the inquest.

Mr Horstead said it suggested a poor communication among staff but Mr Blore said: “I would not say good, I am not saying it was poor.”

Meanwhile, custodial operations manager Robert Wilkinson was asked if he had been told about concerns that inmates had been outside Greenall’s cell in the induction wing.

Mr Wilkinson said: “I knew about the gathering around Lee’s cell. We needed to keep an eye on that area and keep and eye on Lee.”

Mr Horstead asked about the policy where each officer was assigned an inmate, providing a link so personal problems were known and could be tackled.

The barrister said there were no references to this on Greenall’s case notes and said: “A complete and utter failure of the personal officer scheme.”

Mr Wilkinson replied: “It doesn’t look good at all.” He told the inquest that he did not know who had taken on the role of Greenall’s personal officer.

Mr Horstead said the system also delegated a second officer to provide the link in case one was away and asked if this suffered through “a lack of staff.”

Mr Wilkinson told him: “I would say so, yes.”

Earlier the jury heard a statement from Greenall’s mother, who said they moved to Chesterfield when he was aged three. “He had a lovely, friendly personality, made friends easily at home and at school,” she said. He took on events to raise money for charity.

“Lee was always something of an adrenaline junkie,” she wrote, describing him as having “an addictive personality.” This later led to problems.

He was very close to his grandmother and began “a downward spiral” when she died. While on drugs, he “completely ransacked” the pensioner’s home shortly after her death.

Her letter ended: “I am troubled by the delay in entering his cell when he was discovered.” The inquest has been going on all week at Nottingham Council House.

The inquest was told that Greenall was later moved to “L” Wing in the prison and died there in November 2016.

The hearing at Nottingham Council House continues.