Prison Ombudsman critical of the mental healthcare provided to Robert Taylor
A former foster carer who was jailed for child sex offences was found hanged in his cell just days after he was admitted to Armley prison, Leeds.
Robert Taylor, 52, formerly of Bowling Back Drive, West Bowling, Bradford, was found dead five days after he arrived at HMP Leeds after he had pleaded guilty to a string of child sex offences. He was jailed for raping and sexually abusing children he was fostering at his home.
He was sentenced to 14 years and nine months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to 17 offences, including sexual assault of a child under 13, rape of a child under 13 and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. The offences were committed between 2009 and 2018.
A report by the Prisons Ombudsman published this week concluded that prison staff may have placed too much emphasis on Mr Taylor’s ‘calm behaviour’ and his assertions that he had no suicidal intentions.
The Ombudsman said “there is no evidence that staff had any meaningful contact with Mr Taylor during the five days he spent at Leeds.”
The Covid-19 regime restrictions meant that he spent around 23 hours a day alone in his cell.
“His key worker who should have seen him, did not do so and made a false entry saying that he had seen him,” said the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman added: “The only meaningful interaction Mr Taylor had was with another prisoner, an induction orderly, with whom he shared some of his concerns. The prisoner say she told staff about Mr Taylor’s concerns, but staff say they do not remember him doing so. We consider that this isolation may have contributed to Mr Taylor’s state of mind when he took the decision to take his life.”
The report added: “Mr Taylor had only been at Leeds for five days when he died. It was his first time in prison, and he had recently received a long prison sentence for sexual offences.
“While I recognise the challenges facing prison staff in busy local prisons and, of course, that my investigations have the benefit of hindsight, I am concerned that the assessment of Mr Taylor’s risk of self-harm placed insufficient weight on known risk factors and too much on staff perceptions of his behaviour and demeanour and his assertions that he had no suicidal intentions.
“As we have said many times before, although the professional judgment of staff is an essential ingredient in ensuring safety in custody, to be effective, risk assessment must also take account of known or readily available information associated with suicide.”
Mr Taylor was found dead August 17, 2020. An officer found him hanging in his cell.
The Ombudsman noted that he was a former school chaplain and had been arrested after he went to a police station and admitted his offending, despite the fact there had been no complaints about him. It was his first time in prison.
In 2020, a judge described Mr Taylor as a dangerous man who had carried out “disgusting, perverted behaviour.”
The clinical reviewer raised concerns about the mental healthcare Mr Taylor received and said there was a ‘missed opportunity’ to refer him for mental health support.
An inquest held in June this year concluded that Mr Taylor’s death was due to suicide.
