Maghaberry prison officer tells how she saved suicidal inmate’s life

A prison officer who saved a suicidal inmate’s life in Northern Ireland has said she will never forget the experience.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Oct 2019, 17:47 BST
David Kennedy, governor of Maghaberry Prison, said the lives of 13 prisoners had been saved over the last three yearsDavid Kennedy, governor of Maghaberry Prison, said the lives of 13 prisoners had been saved over the last three years
David Kennedy, governor of Maghaberry Prison, said the lives of 13 prisoners had been saved over the last three years

The prisoner was unusually quiet a short time after being admitted to Maghaberry prison in Co Antrim.

She knew him as a bubbly and chatty character from his previous periods behind bars and told the Press Association that she was immediately suspicious.

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She said: “It is something you never forget, it is like it happened yesterday, I can still see him sitting in that cell today, it never leaves you.”

She added: “I carried him out of his cell, he was unconscious and had laboured breathing.”

He was given medical treatment and put under closer observation.

They had enjoyed a good rapport from his previous periods of incarceration and the inmate had assured another officer he was OK.

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However, the prison officer was not happy when she read a record of that conversation last November and immediately checked on the prisoner.

She sounded the alarm when she found him unconscious and started CPR. Her quick actions saved his life.

The prisoner had been trying to come to terms with the death of a child and was finding it difficult.

In the 12 months to May this year there have been 12 attempted suicides at Maghaberry as well as 30 overdoses, intentional and non-intentional, plus three ruptures of drug packages.

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Governor David Kennedy said: “The number of lives saved in Maghaberry because of the professional relationship and because of the training that staff have cannot be quantified.

“We have had 13 saved over the past three years.”