Prisoner Left Unsuspected and Unchecked, Leading to Tragic Suicide

A former prison worker has been found guilty of misconduct after failing to carry out proper welfare checks on a high-risk inmate who later took his own life. Graham Evans, 66, was on overnight duty at HMP Hewell in Worcestershire in June 2018 when he was tasked with checking on vulnerable prisoner Mesut Olgun, who had been identified as at high risk of self-harm.

Evans was required to check on Olgun four times every hour but only carried out 15 checks, despite recording 33, which was later disproven by CCTV footage. As a result, Olgun, 30, who had a history of violent behaviour, was left unsupervised for extended periods of time, ultimately leading to his tragic death.

Evans, of King’s Heath, Birmingham, was convicted of misconduct in public office at Worcester Crown Court. He will be sentenced in January. Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS special crime division, condemned Evans’ actions, emphasising his responsibility to ensure the safety of Olgun, whose death remains a tragic loss for his family and friends.