A VULNERABLE inmate found hanged in his cell was failed by the Prison Service, a public inquiry has ruled.
Bernard 'Sonny' Lodge, 28, from Miles Platting, committed suicide in Strangeways prison on the day he was due to be released from a five-month jail sentence for shoplifting.
Instead of being freed, the father-of-two was kept behind bars over allegations he had assaulted a prison officer.
Bullied
Mr Lodge, who had written letters to his family saying he was being bullied by prison officers, was found hanged in his cell at Strangeways on August 18, 1998.
An inquest in 2001 ended in uproar with the jury members alleging they had been gagged when they were not allowed to enter a verdict which criticised the prison service.
Mr Lodge's family continued to fight for justice and eventually their legal team persuaded Parliament to sanction a full public inquiry into the death.
It started last year, resumed in March and today its chair Barbara Stow delivered a damning verdict on the prison system.
She highlighted a series of 'failures', including putting Mr Lodge, who had slashed his wrists two months before he took his own life, in a cell on his own.
Unprofessional
The report also slammed one prison officer, Ronald Bowcock, who was 'provocative and unprofessional'.
Mr Bowcock, who was compelled to give evidence to the inquiry in March, denied he had assaulted and provoked Mr Lodge.
Mr Lodge's 'sense of victimisation... was not without foundation', said the report.
The inquiry report also found the prison system failed to protect Mr Lodge in his last days by ignoring warnings from his family, not putting him on suicide watch and failing to record information properly so others in the prison could have helped.
Her report branded the K wing where he was kept as unsatisfactory, increasing his alienation and distress.
It also criticised the unfair discipline system on the wing, which she ruled gave too much unchecked power to prison officers and may even have been unlawful.
He was made to feel increasingly isolated by being kept apart from other prisoners, it said.
Apology
Now Mr Lodge's family is calling for a top-level government apology and also for lessons to be learned.
The Ministry of Justice thanked the Chair for delivering her report but refused to comment on her damning findings.
A spokesoman said: "We have no comment at this stage."
Prison Service slated over suicide
December 15, 2009
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Bernard 'Sonny' Lodge, 28, from Miles Platting, committed suicide in Strangeways prison on the day he was due to be released from a five-month jail sentence for shoplifting.
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Tezza, Tyldesley (15/12/2009 at 16:08)
Some civil servant reading some insincere apology written by some secretary isn’t going to bring him back or even mean much, so I wouldn’t bother if I were his family
Esso Blue, In The CITY, Manchester (15/12/2009 at 16:49)
The Voice of Reason, Manchester (15/12/2009 at 17:09)
In fairness to the authorities, a full public enquiry took place and has found serious failings within the system, nothing more can be done now apart from ensuring that it doesn't happen again. Although we need to have sympathy for the family, maybe its also now time to call for a full enquiry on the devastating effect Sonny's street robberies and house burglaries had on persons in the Levenshulme and Longsight areas. So please lets not forget the other victims here and the underlying reasons why he was in prison in the first place, sad but true!
salfordrat (15/12/2009 at 17:27)
salfordrat (15/12/2009 at 17:27)
The Voice of Reason, Manchester
I say let us do forget his crimes. Let us forget his street robberies and house burlaries. Because even though he had actually paid the price for those, had 'done his time' as they say (not that that would matter to thelikes of The Voice of Reason) - he also went on to pay the ultimate price for his crimes. So I say he slate is wiped clean.
I am sure the rest of the 'lock em up brigade' and the 'bring back hanging brigade' who cruise these boards like flashers in a public park, looking for a victim to shock, will be rubbing their nasty little sticky palms together at this one. He was a low level criminal. The system saw him dead for his crimes. Yay. This is the Britain you animals dream of. The only difference being, you would like it legislated!!! I feel sick.
bren 2, bolton (15/12/2009 at 17:30)
salfordrat (15/12/2009 at 17:40)
In fairness to the authorities, a full public enquiry took place and has found serious failings within the system, nothing more can be done now apart from ensuring that it doesn't happen again. Although we need to have sympathy for the family, maybe its also now time to call for a full enquiry on the devastating effect Sonny's street robberies and house burglaries had on persons in the Levenshulme and Longsight areas. So please lets not forget the other victims here and the underlying reasons why he was in prison in the first place, sad but true!
The Voice of Reason, Manchester
In fairness? In fairness? Okay, in fairness I say yes, let us certainly forget his crimes. Let us forget his street robberies and his burglaries. After all, in fairness, he had actually PAID for these crimes already. Not that the insensitive animals who cruise these boards like flashers in a public park care about such details. In fact, you should all be rubbing your sweaty palms together with glee, this is the Britain you dream off - you of the 'bring back hanging' brigade. Here is a low level criminal who, having served his time, died at the hands of the 'justice system'. I feel sick at the so called Voice of Reason. You should be ashamed but I doubt you have the moral capacity.
PS - it seems he died for the crme of shoplifting. the MEN wont print what I want to say to you.
JERRY THE CAT, MANCHESTER (15/12/2009 at 18:01)
BluePurgatory, Manchester (15/12/2009 at 18:21)
Growler (15/12/2009 at 18:26)
The Voice of Reason, Manchester (15/12/2009 at 18:48)
macintosh, Alberta Canada (15/12/2009 at 19:16)
Denise Mallinson, manchester (15/12/2009 at 21:52)
Dave, Down Devon., Plymouth (15/12/2009 at 23:15)
Dave Down Devon.
Andanotherthing, Mcr (16/12/2009 at 00:38)
15/12/2009 at 17:27
Passionate as ever salfordrat, and on the whole an accurate summary of this sad event. Mr Lodge had served his sentence and given that he had cut his wrists before he, should have been released.That said, I don't agree with your comment "he also went on to pay the ultimate price for his crimes. So I say he slate is wiped clean. "
Time served wiped that slate clean for him, but not for his victims.
He did not kill himself for remorse of his crimes. He killed himself because HE was victimised. That is why Bernards family are right to use each and every avenue they have to get answers and justice.
Steve an alternative view (16/12/2009 at 07:39)
I would ask if all those writing platitudes and sympathies here would have the same opinions they have expressed if he had stolen from them, were it not for the fact that I would suspect some are not strangers to the ‘ways’ themselves.
There are countries that would have hacked off this persons hand and others that would have done the job for him for a lesser crime, but no he was here in the UK where being sent to prison is not only a means of punishment but an opportunity to rehabilitate. This man chose a completely different option.
He chose to commit crime, by doing so he chose to go to prison and he chose to hang himself. Put any spin on it you like, blame anyone but yourselves and him but at the end of the day he chose his destiny and he won’t be committing crime any more.
d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (16/12/2009 at 08:59)
The only person having a rant here seems to be you.
Take a step back and be sorry for this guy rather than using as an opportunity to attack people on this site that you clearly have a problem with.
Brook Lands (16/12/2009 at 09:15)
Thank you.
Angelene19, Manchester (16/12/2009 at 09:18)
BluePurgatory, Manchester (16/12/2009 at 09:33)
Steve an alternative view (16/12/2009 at 11:59)
Angelene, the full facts of this matter have clearly not been published and the story has guided readers to a specific conclusion. The MEN as normal practice place links within reports that take readers back to previous related reports. Where is the link to the jury being in uproar over this in 2001? Does anybody remember such a report? Or was it not such an uproar? Before we assume it was for wrong doing that the jury was gagged, which is what we are being lead by the nose to believe, people should consider that there just might be a very good reason, the MEN certainly don’t offer up that option.
Andanotherthing, so all prisoners who cut their wrists should be let out? An interesting concept for the parole authorities to consider. Not.
Sad as some may consider this and deserved as some others may think, there is no getting away from the fact that it was a route he chose nobody else, he did. And if he hadn’t committed the crime then it is very likely he would still be with us now. As for allegations that the jury were gagged or the prison service were lacking or bullies then any subsequent investigations will prove or disprove this, the latter I believe would be the most likely.
Andanotherthing, Mcr (16/12/2009 at 12:46)
Certainly not, ( although, it does read as though that is what I am saying ) He had served his full prison sentence, that is why he should have been released. The fact is that at some point within that short sentence, he attempted suicide. On reaching a release date I would have thought it just, fair and equitable for this to be a major factor in favour of his immediate release.
I believe that there are (rare) cases where keys should be thrown away, and compassion is wasted.
In a supposedly Humane, and fair system this treatment of Bernard appears barbaric.
Sir Big Top Hat, Somewhere spiffing (16/12/2009 at 15:25)
It’s a shame this man killed himself (remember he killed himself - no one else did it) but I feel absolutely no compassion for this man - as I feel no compassion for most criminals. Stealing property from other people (more often than not through greed) is no way to contribute to society it is a way to blight our country.
In this life I find you reap what you sow.
I think everyone on this board is entitled to their own opinions and many differ from mine but I can think of thousands of people who deserve my sympathy, however, unfortunately not this man.
STRETFORDIAN, TRAFFORD (17/12/2009 at 09:58)
Steve an alternative view (17/12/2009 at 10:17)
I don’t know why people make such a song and dance about this as this man made all his own decision, nobody else, but in the culture we live in the powers that be and a percentage of the populace insist on finding a scapegoat.