A 'sexual predator' died in HMP Haverigg after taking an overdose of medication prescribed to him for anxiety.
Steven Blake, of Oldham, died in April 2023 while serving a sentence at the Cumbria prison for possessing extreme pornographic images and making indecent images.
In May 2022, Blake was sentenced to 33 months in prison for three counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children, possession of extreme pornographic images, possessing prohibited images of children and intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an indictable offence.
A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), which investigates deaths in custody, found Blake, 38, killed himself as his anxiety 'increased' due to 'his concerns about his life outside prison, the nature of his offences and a conflict with some prisoners'.
Blake was prescribed anxiety medication in 2023 and the prisoner was allowed to keep it in his cell despite a previous suicide attempt, the report said.
On April 29, Blake told a fellow prisoner he had taken an overdose of his medication with the prisoner alerting an officer who called a medical emergency code blue and ambulances called to the scene.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, Blake's condition deteriorated and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ombudsman Adrian Usher said the watchdog was 'satisfied' Blake was well supported by prison and healthcare staff, saying the PPO did not believe staff 'could reasonably have identified that Mr Blake intended to end his life imminently'.
Mr Usher added that the clinical reviewer concluded the clinical care Blake received 'was of a good standard'.
However, a concern was raised over the prescription of anxiety medication which Blake was allowed to keep in his cell despite his previous suicide attempt.
A coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide due to prescription drug overdose after an inquest into his death.
Following the death of Blake, the PPO has made a series of recommendations for the prison to follow.
The report said: "When they assessed whether Mr Blake could safely keep his medication in his cell, healthcare staff did not identify from his medical history that he had attempted an overdose in the previous twelve months. They also did not undertake a new assessment when they prescribed him a new drug.
"The prison acted in a proportionate and reasonable manner in their attempts to deal with the conflict between Mr Blake and some other prisoners and when carrying out their investigation into the allegations made.
"The officers and prisoner who responded to the emergency situation were compassionate and did everything they could to help Mr Blake."
After Blake was sentenced, Detective Constable Helen Vernon, from Greater Manchester Police's Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Blake was a sexual predator with a keen and clear sexual interest in the sexual abuse of very young children.
“He’s just one of the many that we are investigating and working to bring to justice by putting them behind bars where they belong.”
