Mother of inmate who died fears he had been threatened at Shropshire prison, inquest told
The mother of a man who died shortly after being found unconscious in his prison cell told an inquest that she thought her son was being threatened by fellow inmates.
Adeline Rose was speaking on the opening day of a five-day hearing into the death of her son Derrick Rose-Fowler.
The 44-year-old was found in his cell at HMP Stoke Heath, near Market Drayton. He was rushed to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford where he was pronounced dead.
Mr John Ellery, coroner for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, heard that Mr Rose-Fowler had been depressed in the months prior to his death.
At the inquest being held at Shrewsbury Town Football Club, Mrs Rose the jury that her son had been funny, loving and an exceptional artist. But he had fallen in with the "wrong crowd" which led to him becoming involved with drugs and crime.
He was halfway through a six-year prison sentence when he was found in his prison cell shortly after 10am on June 5 last year.
In the months before his death Mrs Rose said her son had sent her letters and called her saying that he felt unsafe and that he needed money paying to other people.
On one occasion he begged his mother to send £50 by direct debit to a bank account of someone else. This she did as she said: "I heard someone else in the background and I got the impression he was under duress."
The hearing continues.
