An investigation was underway at a high security prison today after the second suicide of an inmate in just over a year.
Convicted sex offender John Anthony Deery (50) died in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital yesterday after being found hanging in a cell in the medical centre at Maghaberry prison, near Lisburn, Co Antrim on Thursday night.
The incident comes 12 months after another prisoner — 34-year-old Colin Bell — hanged himself in the jail and only five weeks after an inspectors' report on safety standards criticised the monitoring procedures for vulnerable inmates.
Former governor Alan Longwell and his deputy Steve Davis were removed from their posts and other staff disciplined after an independent probe into Bell's death discovered that wardens who were supposed to be checking the high-risk inmate were lying on beds watching TV.
New governor Steve Rodford has been in post for just over a month.
While convicted murderer Bell was housed in the 'Reach wing' for vulnerable prisoners, Deery was in a cell in Maghaberry's medical unit when he made his suicide bid.
The prisoner, who authorities described as 'vulnerable', was still alive when he was found by staff at around 10pm on Thursday and medics tried to resuscitate him. He was taken to the Royal in Belfast where he had been on a life support machine before dying yesterday afternoon.
In 2003, Deery, from the Derry area, was jailed after admitting indecently assaulting five girls between 1975 and 2002.
He had been released on conditions and had only recently returned to Maghaberry after breaching a custody probation order.
The Northern Ireland Office said the Prisoner Ombudsman had begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. Police have also been informed.
In a separate incident at the medical centre two hours earlier on Thursday night, another prisoner suffered a heart attack. The inmate, in his 70s, was transferred to Lagan Valley hospital in Lisburn.
PA