Inquest told prisoner had drugs in system

A prisoner had "foam coming out of his mouth" and had seizures in his neighbour's cell before he died, an inquest has heard.

Patrick Maughan arrived at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire on 6 February 2024, but the 50-year-old died at the Category B jail on 17 November that year.

A jury inquest at Nottingham Coroner's Court on Monday heard cocaine and synthetic cannabinoids - often known as Spice - were found in Maughan's system following a toxicological examination.

Drugs in the jail were described as "a big problem" at the time of his death, with drones among the methods used to bring in illegal substances, the jury heard.

Maughan had a known history of drug usage prior to arriving at Lowdham Grange, and had on occasion been seen by staff who suspected he was under the influence.

On 17 November 2024, he had gone into the cell of his neighbour shortly before 10:00 GMT, but minutes later other inmates reported to staff he had run on to the bed before having several seizures.

A code blue emergency was issued, and paramedics arrived soon afterwards, but he was pronounced deceased at the jail at 11:37.

Laura Fox, who worked as a prison officer at Lowdham Grange at the time, was one of those who responded to prisoners' concerns for Maughan, who she described as "a big character on the wing".

She said she had seen him the day before, when he "looked really well" and was talking about courses he was completing, but when she found him unresponsive she said she put him in the recovery position and called for help.

"His eyes were rolling back, he had foam coming out of his mouth, and he was gurgling," she said.

A post-mortem examination found no external injuries or natural disease contributed to Maughan's death, and said it was believed to have been caused by the toxic effects of cocaine and synthetic cannabinoids found in his system.

Police responding to his case found no evidence of third-party involvement or suspicious behaviour linked to his death.

The court heard Lowdham Grange had problems dealing with drugs being brought into the jail.

Gareth Evans, the current head of safety who arrived at the jail the same month Maughan died, said the prison was "much more chaotic" at the time, but said staff had worked on limiting the ways drugs could arrive, which he said had been a problem "across the prison service".

Preventative measures include mail into prisoners being photocopied or sent from approved sources with barcodes to stop paper soaked in Spice being handed to inmates, and side vents in cell windows that inmates could put hands through have been replaced with more secure designs.

The inquest continues.

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