Alan Whelan
Response Status
Report Content
Coroner
I am Oliver Longstaff, Acting Senior Coroner for the West Yorkshire (Eastern) coroner area.
Legal Powers
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DATE OF REPORT 07/05/2026
Legal Powers
I make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.
Your Response
Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action. Otherwise, you must explain why no action is proposed. I have a duty to send a copy of your response to the Chief Coroner. In accordance with the Chief Coroner’s Publication Policy, you should send me any representations regarding publication of your response. These representations should be made at the same time as the response is provided. I will pass any representations received to the Chief Coroner for a decision. Please note any links to webpages included in the response will not be checked for sensitive information prior to publication, as the information is already online . The names of those who do not respond to PFD reports are regularly published on the Chief Coroner’s webpages Non-responses to Prevention of Future Death (PFD) reports – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary.
Action Required
SUMMARY OF CORONER’S CONCERN A serving prisoner in HMP Leeds, who was on an open ACCT document, was moved to the Segregation Unit in the prison after starting a fire in his cell shortly before 1500 hrs on 24/12/2024. Pursuant to PS 1700 he should have had a mental health assessment within 24 hours of his arrival in the Segregation Unit. No such assessment took place. Shortly before 2330 hrs on 25/12/2024, he was found hanging in his cell on the Segregation Unit and transferred to hospital, where he died on 30/12/2024.
Action Required
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In my opinion unless action is taken to address the above concerns then there is a significant risk of future deaths and I believe each of you have the power to take such action.
Investigation and Inquest
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On 08/01/2025, I commenced an investigation into the death of Alan Joseph Whelan, aged 41 years… The medical cause of death was 1a) Hypoxic Encephalopathy; b) Hanging The deceased died on 30/12/2024 in Leeds General Infirmary, where he had been brought on 25/12/2024 from HMP Leeds, where he had been found hanging in his single-occupancy cell on the Segregation Unit. Conclusion (Jury’s narrative conclusion) Alan Joseph Whelan was found ligatured in his cell on 25 th Dec 2024 and subsequently died on 30 th December 2024 at Leeds General Infirmary. It is possible that loss of work was a trigger to Alan’s mental state and thought process. Following previous incidents, we feel that observations should have been made more regularly, and any ACCT reviews should have considered previous incidents. It cannot be established that Alan not being more frequently observed probably contributed to his death, but it is possible that it did so. Admission by MoJ The prison officer conducting ACCT observations on Alan on the night of 25 th Dec did not comply with the requirement to conduct one check at irregular intervals every 60 minutes. By the time he conducted the check which led to Alan’s discovery it had been 1 hour and 11 minutes since the last check. It cannot be established that this finding probably contributed to the death, but (it) may have done so.
Details
- Report Date
- 7 May 2026
- Coroner
- Oliver Longstaff
- Coroner Area
- West Yorkshire East
- Reference
- 2026-0256
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