Eritrean man found dead in Kent prison after expressing fears of deportation

An Eritrean man who had a 'number of risk factors for suicide and self-harm' was found dead at a Kent Prison. Filmon Brhane hung himself in his cell at HMP Maidstone on June 12, 2023, a new report has revealed. The 23-year-old was an Eritrean national who had been living in the UK since he was 14 years old. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for offences of burglary and possession of a knife.

He was taken to HMP Elmley on December 2022. He was due for release on June 16 but knew he might be further detained at Maidstone under immigration powers, pending his possible deportation, according to the report.

Before he died, he previously told officers he was hearing voices telling him to kill himself and it was "clear that he was stressed he may be deported". Prisons and probation ombudsman Adrian Usher said: "He was distressed about the prospect of deportation and staff managed him under suicide and self-harm prevention procedures (known as ACCT) on three occasions, including at the time he died."

Brhane told a nurse he was worried about his immigration status. The nurse said she would contact the Home Office Immigration Enforcement (HOIE) team and ask them for an update.

However, on February 21, 2023, the Acting Chief Immigration Officer said that a member of the HOIE team saw Brhane and issued him a Stage One letter. This is a 'Notice of Decision, Decision to Deport' and is the first notice given as part of the deportation process.

It asks the detainee to explain to the Home Office why they believe they should be allowed to stay in the UK. This contact and information were not recorded on his prison records.

An immigration team member explained to Brhane that as his conditional release date from prison was June 16, the immigration team would review his immigration status nearer to this time. He already had the right to remain in the UK, however this would be reviewed and may be shortened because of his offence.

On the evening of June 12, a prison officer found Brhane hanged in his cell. Prison and healthcare staff provided emergency care and, at 8.30pm, paramedics confirmed Brhane had died.

Mr Usher notes in the report that despite ACCT procedures being largely well managed, there were some deficiencies. These included staff not 'sufficently involved in ACCT' case reviews, care maps not updated, Brhane's ACCT document not travelling with him around the prison and more.

Brhane had several risk factors for suicide and self-harm. The findings revealed it was his first time in prison, he was a foreign national prisoner, he had a history of substance misuse, PTSD and mental health problems.

The report published last month reads: "We also found that immigration staff did not note their contact with Mr Brhane in prison records or adequately consider the impact of the information they gave him on his state of mind." The clinical reviewer, however, concluded the physical and mental healthcare Brhane received at the Maidstone prison was of "a reasonable standard and equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community".