Killer left letter for Governor of Leyland prison warning of drugs - before taking his own life

Gavin Cox, 47, died the day after he was found hanging in his cell in Wymott Prison near Leyland, in October 2023.

A Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into his death revealed that Cox, a long-time drug-user, had left a letter addressed to the Governor, which said that he was frustrated that he had not been able to overcome his addictions and that drugs were available on the wing.

Read here about the horrific murder carried out by Gavin Cox in East Lancashire

In December 2023 - weeks after Cox’s death - a report was issued by Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor, who said that the influx of drugs into HMP Wymott was a “serious problem”. In a survey, 45 per cent of prisoners said it was easy to get drugs, compared with 32 per cent in similar facilities. He said there was not enough searching or drug testing, and there was a “lack of technology to detect drugs”.

Today the Inspectorate of Prisons has slammed neighbouring prison, HMP Garth, for being like an ‘airport’ with drones flying drugs in.

Background

Gavin Cox was imprisoned in 2001 and had a long history of substance misuse. On two occasions, in 2020 and 2022, he was moved to open conditions but was then returned to closed conditions because of his drug use. He arrived at HMP Wymott on December 21, 2022.

While in prison, he engaged with key workers about his drug use and - upon his request - in January 2023 was moved to the Psychologically Informed Planned Environment Unit (PIPE) which allow prisoners to progress through a pathway of interventions to support personal development.

The report states that he admitted illicit drug use to both a substance misuse nurse and a psychologist but there was no formal process for the sharing of information about illicit drug use between healthcare staff and prison staff.

The report also states that while preparing for a parole board hearing ahead of a release, Cox said that he did not feel ready to be released and as such did not see any benefit in returning to an open prison. The report states: “He felt overwhelmed at the thought of living in the community without substances and would need a lot of support. His preference would be to go to a rehabilitation centre. He also said that he did not see that he was benefiting from being on the PIPE unit, where he was using substances regularly.”

Drug debt

On October 12, Cox was assaulted by another prisoner, which the report stated was “probably linked to drug debt”. It continues: “However, he gave no indication to staff or other prisoners that he was worried about his safety or at risk of harming himself.”

Death

After prisoners were unlocked on the morning of October 13, two members of staff and a prisoner spoke to Cox. At 8.22am, an officer looked into his cell and saw him hanging. She called for assistance, and staff started CPR. At 8.34am, staff asked the control room to call an ambulance. Ambulance paramedics arrived and took Cox to hospital but he died at 1.44pm the next day in Intensive Care at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Findings and recommendation

The PPO said that the clinical reviewer concluded that the care Cox received at Wymott was of “a good standard and equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community.” However, a recommendation has been made that the prison’s Head of Healthcare should agree a pathway of information sharing with prison staff when prisoners disclose substance use.