Source: The Independent
published: 3 October 2023
A coroner has condemned the “unacceptable” care of a vulnerable, epileptic Black man who died in prison after staff failed to take his risk of seizure seriously,The Independent can reveal.
Trevor Monerville, 33, was found unresponsive after having an epileptic seizure in his cell at HMP Lewes in East Sussex in April 2021. On that morning, prison staff did not carry out a morning roll check as they were supposed to.
A damning inquest found there was “insufficient and unacceptable” management of Mr Monerville’s care, by both HMP Lewes and the privately-owned prison healthcare provider, Practice Plus Group (PPG).
The jury also found that staff displayed a “lack of empathy” for the people under their care, according to the official record of the inquest seen by The Independent.
The law firm representing Mr Monerville’s family said healthcare and prison officers ignored “multiple warnings” about his condition and that there was a “woeful” lack of understanding around his seizures.
Of the 11 epilepsy death cases in prison since 2005, seven are Black or mixed race, according to INQUEST, the charity.
Paul Ham and Constance Collard, of law firm Birnberg Peirce said: “Despite multiple warnings from Trevor, his mother and other family members, healthcare and prison officers failed to take the risk of his seizures, especially nocturnal seizures, seriously.”
