Martyn, John Francis Alex

75y · Male·Metastatic prostatic carcinoma

A 75-year-old Indigenous man died from metastatic prostate cancer while in prison custody. Diagnosed with cancer in 2012, he also had haemophilia A, ischaemic heart disease, and prior cerebrovascular accidents. By 2016, he required full-time palliative care. Despite attempts to arrange community-based aged care through parole, he declined participation in assessment processes and expressed preference for independent housing. He was transferred to the prison's Acute Care Unit which provided constant monitoring, regular nursing observations, and supplementary supportive measures. His Advance Health Directive indicated he did not want treatment obstructing natural death. He died peacefully while under observation, with appropriate palliative care provided throughout. The coroner found no deficiency in medical care and noted his death could not reasonably have been prevented.