Wigan borough man died from natural causes while serving sentence for drugs offences

Ian Taylor, from Tyldesley, was the first person to die at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire since August 2020.

And while drugs were found in his cell, his death was ruled to have been due to natural causes.

Police stopped Taylor’s car as he drove on the M62 in December 2018 and noticed a strong smell of cannabis.

It led to them discovering cannabis worth £14,900 in the vehicle, as well as raiding a make-shift laboratory at his home on Dorning Street.

Taylor, then 52, was jailed for five years and three months in November 2021 after he admitted possession with intent to supply cannabis and THC, and being concerned in the supply of MDMA and cocaine.

A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman states he was initially sent to HMP Durham.

He had a number of long-term health conditions, was prescribed medication to manage them and was seen in a long-term conditions clinic.

Taylor was transferred to HMP Kirkham on June 8, 2023.

In an initial health screen, a nurse noted he had a history of illicit drug use, anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

Taylor said he had not used any illicit drugs in prison and had stopped taking medication for anxiety and depression. He agreed to engage with the drug and alcohol recovery team.

He was referred to the long-term conditions clinic for monitoring and oversight of his underlying health needs and a care plan was created for diabetes.

A nurse used a cardiovascular 10-year risk score in June 2023 which calculated Taylor’s risk of having a stroke or cardiac arrest in 10 years was 25.41 per cent, when a score over 10 per cent would warrant intervention and support.

But the PPO report states he refused statin medication the following month to reduce the risk of illness and developing cardiovascular disease.

There were concerns in August about fluid retention in his legs, with suspicions that he had lymphoedema, which can be secondary to heart failure or other circulatory diseases.

A GP requested blood tests to determine whether Taylor had heart failure and he was referred to the lymphoedema service.

But on the morning of August 25, 2023, Taylor was found unresponsive in his cell.

Staff started CPR and he was rushed to hospital by ambulance, but he could not be saved.

A post-mortem examination found his cause of death was acute left ventricular failure, while hypertensive heart disease (caused by unmanaged high blood pressure) and steatohepatitis (a type of fatty liver disease) were contributing factors.

The toxicology report showed he had low levels of buprenorphine and pregabalin in his system at the time of his death, neither of which were prescribed.

The PPO report noted class B and C drugs, which were consistent with quantities for personal use, were found in his cell.

An inquest held in December concluded that he died by natural causes.

The clinical reviewer concluded that the care Taylor received at Kirkham was of a good standard and equivalent to what he could have expected to receive in the community.