Coroner's Finding: CURREN Michael Andrew

38y · Male·neck compression due to hanging

Michael Andrew Curren, a 38-year-old prisoner at Mobilong Prison, died by hanging on 10 June 1998. He had been assaulted five days earlier and attended medical review on the day of death, but presented as being in good spirits with no apparent suicidal ideation. Prison staff observed nothing unusual. The coroner found no suspicious circumstances and concluded the death was suicide. Key clinical lesson: inmates presenting with injuries and psychological stress require heightened vigilance for suicide risk, particularly when subtle behavioral changes may be missed in institutional settings. The investigation revealed significant delays and inadequacies in police investigation protocols for deaths in custody.