His behaviour was erratic before his death, a new report says, including packing his things the morning of his death and telling others he was ‘moving to a flat’
Ahmed Omar, 29, of Firth Park, died after he was found unresponsive in HMP Lindholme after taking synthetic cannabis"for weeks".The report criticised how Omar was not referred to specialist teams despite acting erratic and admitting he was using drugs in the days before his death. Further, a warning by a manager to check on him every two hours in the night for his safety was not recorded or acted on.
Omar, of Firth Park, Sheffield, was jailed in 2015 for shooting a man in both legs following an argument outside a takeaway in 2013. He was only caught 18 months later, and police found he was still in possession of the semi-automatic handgun he used in the shooting. The attack was described by police as “ruthless and violent”.The ombudsman said: “I am concerned that, despite [his erratic behaviour], he was not seen by healthcare staff or referred to the substance misuse team.
“Although Mr Omar was the seventh prisoner to die as a result of use at Lindholme since December 2017, staff do not appear to have appreciated that Mr Omar’s drug use put him at significant risk of dying.”On August 11 – two days before Omar’s death – two prisoners raised concerns with staff about his behaviour.“The apparent ease with which Mr Omar was able to obtain drugs despite the COVID-19 restrictions suggests that more needs to be done to stop the flow of drugs into the prison.
“There was also a short delay before a medical emergency code was called when Mr Omar was found unresponsive in his cell.”An post-mortem ruled his death as a result of psychoactive substance toxicity. The report found the prison needed to do more to record when they suspect a prisoner is using illicit substances and refer them to healthcare teams.Omar was arrested in 2015 after he ran a red light on Burngreave Road in Sheffield. While on the run, he was seen throwing a bag into a garden, which was later found to contain the handgun. Tests linked it to the shooting in 2013. He was jailed for wounding and possession of the firearm.
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