Deceased
Dean Kieran Lauder
Demographics
22y, male
Date of death
1998-05-31
Finding date
2000-04-28
Cause of death
Ligature Compression of the Neck (Hanging)
AI-generated summary
Dean Kieran Lauder, aged 22, died on 31 May 1998 at Canning Vale Prison by ligature strangulation (hanging) while in a punishment cell. He was serving a 7-day sentence for cannabis possession offences. He had a history of psychiatric concerns, including suicidal ideation detected in September 1997, which had resolved with psychological monitoring and medication review. On 31 May 1998, he requested sleep medication but was appropriately declined and showed no obvious distress. A prison psychologist who saw him daily reported him coping well. He died by hanging using a sheet tied to a light fitting. A suicide note was found. The coroner noted the deceased appeared pressured to smuggle heroin for a fellow prisoner and feared consequences if he could not deliver it. The coroner recommended: (1) a coded radio system to alert hospital staff to hanging emergencies without alarming inmates; (2) review of maximum penalty practices by Visiting Justices; and (3) recognition that light fittings have since been modified to prevent their use as hanging points.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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