Deceased
Royston Henry Sturt
Demographics
58y, male
Date of death
1998-01-14
Finding date
2000-11-28
Cause of death
hanging
AI-generated summary
A 58-year-old man remanded in custody awaiting trial died by hanging in prison. He had a history of depression treated with fluoxetine and was assessed by a forensic psychiatrist who found no evidence of depression or suicidal ideation. Prison staff and family observed mood fluctuations but no overt suicide intent, except to his partner who described frequent suicidal statements but did not report these to authorities. He wrote letters in contemplation of death in November 1997. Correctional officers conducted two-hourly cell checks but did not observe his death; he constructed a convincing mannequin to conceal his absence. Clinical lessons include: ensuring comprehensive suicide risk assessment in custodial settings captures information from all contacts; improving communication between informal sources and authorities; and mandating direct observation of prisoner wellbeing during checks rather than observation of body shape alone.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Male·suicide
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