PRISON STAFF let a mentally-ill man languish in his cell for four days where he contracted a fatal infection.

Floyd Everton Carruthers died in hospital 20 days after being discovered to have sepsis at Birmingham jail.

An inquest heard that the 58-year-old’s health had deteriorated in custody and that he refused evening meals during the four days when he did not leave his cell.

The sepsis was caused by an infection where he had a pacemaker, however while prison staff noted he had a pacemaker when he was jailed in March 2021 they failed to follow this up.

Campaign group INQUEST said his death was “a sharp reminder of the many premature and neglectful deaths of black prisoners who are too often deprived of adequate physical and mental health support.”

Carruthers’ family had expressed concerns about his welfare, but prison staff assured the family he was being well looked after. 

The family also contacted the adult community mental health team but were told that they could not give any further information due to confidentiality.

The inquest at Birmingham and Solihull coroners court concluded in late December that prison staff were guilty of neglect leading to pneumonia, cardiac arrest and death at Birmingham City Hospital.

Carruthers was jailed for breaching an anti-social behaviour order at the Midlands Heart housing association property where he had been living for 30 years. The housing association had reported him to the police.

Two months after being jailed, Carruthers began to refuse food and leave his cell. On the fourth day he was found slumped in a chair and an ambulance was called.

He had been known to the community mental health team for 20 years.

The inquest jury found there was poor record keeping at the prison, and insufficient training on safeguarding.

Carruthers was described as a  “kind and caring gentleman” who was “quiet but very popular and widely loved”.

Coroner Ian Dreelan said he will be issuing a prevention of future deaths report.

A statement from the Carruthers family said: ““We are relieved to have the answers we were looking for in relation to Floyd’s death. 

“We are thankful for the jury’s time and engagement throughout the inquest, and in coming to their conclusions, and we hope that lessons are learned by the prison to make sure another family do not have to go through the pain we have over the past 19 months. 

“We loved Floyd immensely and we miss him every day, and we will cherish our memories together.”

Jodie Anderson, Senior Caseworker at INQUEST, said: “Just two months ago we published a damning report into the preventable deaths of racialised people in prison. 

“Floyd’s story is an example of the increasingly brutal and dehumanising process in which statutory services criminalise those with mental ill health.

“The chain of events that was triggered by Midlands Heart Housing in their approach to Floyd is evidence of a dire need for empathy and compassion in all aspects of social, housing and healthcare provision to ensure there are better alternatives for vulnerable people like Floyd than prison.”