A prisoner linked to a prison contraband network worth up to half a million pounds every few months took his own life in prison, a watchdog report has revealed.
A newly-published Prisons and Probation Ombudsman report into the death of Johnpaul Digweed at HMP Garth sheds light on the scale of the prison's battle against drugs, mobile phones and other illicit items being delivered by drone.
Digweed, 36, was serving a 25-year sentence for drug supply offences when he took his own life in April 2024. An inquest jury later concluded that gaps in care and failures to carry out routine checks properly possibly contributed to his death.
The report said intelligence repeatedly linked Digweed to prison drug culture and organising drone deliveries into the jail. During his time at Garth, he was found in possession of mobile phones on numerous occasions.
Investigators disclosed that an intelligence report in February 2024 suggested prisoners on C Wing, including Digweed, were making between £400,000 and £500,000 every couple of months from the proceeds of contraband brought into the prison by drone.
The ombudsman said Garth's rural location, large perimeter, and proximity to major roads made it particularly vulnerable to drones being used to smuggle drugs, mobile phones, and other banned items into the prison.
A prisoner interviewed during the investigation said a mobile phone could be worth about £10,000 inside the jail. The report said there was a strong possibility Digweed's involvement in prison drug culture may have left him in debt.
Information received after his death suggested he was worried about money and had relationship difficulties. Intelligence also indicated he was "wanted" by organised crime gangs outside prison.
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The watchdog found no evidence that Digweed was at a heightened or imminent risk of suicide before his death.
However, it identified concerns over how staff responded when his observation panel was found to be covered on the morning he died.
The report concluded there remained a wider problem at Garth with covered observation panels and staff not always following procedures when carrying out checks.
Following the inquest, the coroner issued the governor with a Prevention of Future Deaths report.
The ombudsman has also made recommendations aimed at improving checks and reducing a backlog of prison disciplinary hearings.
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