Inmate’s Mother Raises Concerns Over Prison Transfer Before His Death

The mother of one of three individuals who died at a prison within a single month has stated she is “disgusted that three men were able to harm themselves in such a short space of time”. David Richards, formerly the proprietor of the male stripping enterprise Dreamboys, was discovered unresponsive inside his cell at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire on 13 March 2023. The 42-year-old had been moved to the Category B correctional facility on 24 February of the same year, following threats he received in a different detention center, an inquest was informed. He was the second of three men to die during that March. Susan Braybrook indicated that her son was “very unhappy” regarding his transfer to a correctional facility that lacked a vulnerable prisoner unit (VPU). During an inquest held at Nottingham Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, it was revealed that Richards had been a prosperous businessman, having ceased boxing to concentrate on his profession as a singer and stripper. In her submitted statement, Ms Braybrook mentioned that her son divested Dreamboys in 2019, subsequently facing challenges the subsequent year when the Covid pandemic led to the cessation of live entertainment. She further stated that her son was “very driven” yet “also vulnerable, which was masked by his confident persona”. Richards was incarcerated in January 2023 for the attempted murder of his wife. Ms Braybrook informed the court that she “did not condone” his crime and was too distressed to be present at his trial, but she maintained daily communication with him during his time at the prison in Chelmsford, where he had been held on remand since April 2022 and contributed as a trained listener and in the laundry department. She stated that he had been subjected to threats, leading to his relocation from the general prison population to the VPU prior to his transfer. Her statement indicated: “David took the threats very seriously.” It continued: “[He] was very anxious about moving because of the ongoing threat.” Ms Braybrook mentioned that she was unaware of her son’s transfer to Lowdham until after his arrival, further stating that Richards claimed he was only informed of the transfer on the morning of 24 February. She quoted him as saying: “He was very unhappy about being in Lowdham Grange because it didn’t have a VPU and it was so far away.” She added: “I know you don’t get to choose your prison, but to move all the way to Nottinghamshire seemed a bit off.” She recounted speaking with her son on the morning of 13 March, having no immediate worries, but suggested he would have been apprehensive about transitioning from an induction area to the general prison population due to his prior experiences. Upon being informed of his death by family liaison officers, she described it as “a complete shock”, noting that the media’s response was “extremely traumatic”. The court was informed that a post-mortem examination revealed injuries consistent with hanging, and no alcohol or illicit drugs were detected in his system. Richards passed away one week after Anthony Binfield was discovered unresponsive in his cell, and 12 days prior to Rolandas Karbauskas’s death on 25 March. Ms Braybrook additionally conveyed her indignation regarding the events at Lowdham Grange. She stated: “I’m disgusted that three men were able to harm themselves in such a short space of time.” She continued: “There are so many vulnerable people in prison, and more needs to be done to protect them.” The inquest is set to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of all three men, with a jury anticipated to deliver a conclusion next year. For those affected by the issues presented in this report, resources are available via the BBC Action Line. Stay updated with BBC Nottingham on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Submit your story concepts to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or through WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.