Leeds prisoner's cell death from drug overdose exposed staff-check failures
Prisoner was found unresponsive after cocaine binge
A prisoner from Leeds died from a drug overdose in his cell, which later revealed welfare checks on him had been falsified by a staff member.
Stephen Baddeley was found to have taken a large amount of cocaine and suffered a heart attack while serving at HMP Lindholme in Doncaster.
But it was found that staff had failed to check on the 35-year-old the night before, despite a checklist being completed, then failed to notice the next morning and leaving another inmate to find his lifeless body.
A report into his death was published by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) this week which confirmed that a member of the prison staff had since resigned.
Mr Baddeley, of Armley Grange Drive, Armley, was jailed in October 2022 for attacking his pregnant girlfriend and was jailed for an extended period, with the judge telling him he was a danger to the public.
He was diagnosed with psychosis with emotionally-unstable personality disorder. Initially held in HMP Leeds, he was transferred to HMP Lindholme in late November 2022.
In 2024 staff suspected he was taking illegal drugs, which he denied.
The PPO report read: “On August 3, 2024, staff failed to carry out the evening routine check but falsified the record to indicate they had.
“On August 4, staff noted that they saw Mr Baddeley moving when they checked him at about 5.30am.
“At 9.08am, an officer unlocked prisoners including Mr Baddeley. She did not check Mr Baddeley when she did so.”
Minutes later a prisoner went to visit Mr Baddeley in his cell. He found Mr Baddeley unconscious lying behind his cell door. Another prisoner alerted staff immediately.
Staff responded and called an emergency code at 9.28am. Prison and healthcare staff provided emergency care. Staff removed a wrap of cling film, tied with a knot, from Mr Baddeley’s mouth.
Paramedics arrived but was pronounced dead at 10.07am.
A post-mortem found he had taken a large amount of cocaine, triggering the heart attack. He also had ketamine in his system.
The PPO did not find any evidence that Mr Baddeley intended to take his life.
Questions were raised by Mr Baddeley’s family about how he came to have cuts to his hands, elbows and forehead prior to his death, but no answers were received.
CCTV showed that despite checklists being completed the night before his death, the officer had not actually carried out the checks.
A disciplinary investigation was launched but the officer stepped down before it was completed.
The PPO said: “We informed the police of the officer’s actions, and they were considering whether to take the issue any further.”
However, it did not impact on Mr Baddeley’s death because another work said they saw Mr Baddeley move during a check just after 5.30am on August 4.