An HMP Liverpool inmate who struggled with prison life and his mental health was moved into a single-occupancy cell before taking his own life, an inquest heard.
Galtress, who was at the Walton jail on remand for a charge of robbery, hanged himself after barricading his cell from the inside on October 14, 2018. An inquest into his death opened at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool on Monday (April 25).
A summary read to the court by Area Coroner Anita Bhardwaj covered the events which led to Galtress' death and the jury also heard statements from family members and evidence given by prison staff and medical professionals.
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Statements from Galtress' estranged wife and family in court highlighted their concerns about his mental health. A letter sent from prison by Galtress to his sister Nicola Galtress showed that he struggled with prison life once behind bars at Walton.
He wrote that would "keep getting into fights and losing canteen" and added he felt he "may never get out of here alive". He said that he was being moved from wing to wing and added: "It’s rough in here and I mean rough as toast".
Mother Joan Galtress believed that her son had "bad" mental health problems and she added: " I cannot understand how he fell through the net when being assessed as I felt he was mentally unwell". Lisa Galtress, his estranged wife, said that by the time Galtress went to prison in June 2018, his "mental state was in a bad way".
Galtress was on a methadone maintenance programme after he tested positive for various drugs on arrival into the prison. A prison GP also stated on June 20, 2018 that he suffered from depression.
The court heard of Galtress' issues in prison. Ms Bhardwaj's summary stated that, on August 5, 2018, Galtress assaulted another prisoner, knocking some of the victim's teeth out. This led to a disciplinary charge and a move to H-wing, HMP Liverpool's drug-supportive wing.
On September 16, Galtress attacked his cellmate. He stabbed the victim multiple times in the face with the metal part of a broken mop handle. He told officers that he had become paranoid and "lost his head", but didn't know why he attacked his cellmate.
Galtress was not allowed to share a cell after this. He was deemed as unsuitable for segregation but was not seen as "acutely unwell."
The inquest heard that other prisoners noticed Galtress' paranoia and they thought he was suffering from mental health problems. However, prison officers did not deem him to be at risk of suicide and he was not placed on an ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) - the care planning process for prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm.
Sometimes referred to as 'suicide watch', ACCTs can be opened by any medical staff at a prison. Stella Hannaway, who has been Head of Healthcare Transformation at HMP Liverpool since December 2018, told the court that medical staff should do so if they are in 'any doubt' about a prisoner's likelihood to commit self harm or suicide.
The Samaritans raised concerns with officers about Galtress' mental wellbeing in October 2018. On October 14, 2018, an officer unlocked Galtress' cell door for association (time spent out of the cell) but he didn't want to leave and asked for the door to be locked.
The court heard Galtress proceeded to barricade the door and was seen hanging in his cell at 10.33am. Officers could not enter the cell for seven minutes due to the barricades. They were able to enter at 10.40am and an officer started CPR, while nurses also attended.
An ambulance had arrived at the scene at 10.38am and paramedics intervened, but Galtress did not respond and was declared dead at 11.12am. His post-mortem stated the cause of death was neck compression by hanging. No alcohol or illicit drugs were detected in his toxicology report, but therapeutic levels of antidepressant Mirtazapine were present.
Joan Galtress said she was informed of her son's death by a prison officer on the day, who said that her son had 'hung himself' in his cell. She believed it was out of character for him. The inquest continues.
