Death of former Stoke Heath prisoner down to natural causes, investigation finds

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) said the care Michael Lawton had received at the prison was equivalent to that which he would have received in the community.

The PPO, which investigates all deaths of serving prisoners and those who have died within 14 days of release, did not make any recommendations.

The investigation report says Mr Lawton was transferred to HMP Stoke Heath, near Market Drayton, in October 2021.

An initial healthcare screening identified a number of conditions including asthma.

On June 16 last year Mr Lawton had an annual asthma review with the prison nurse. He said he had not been using his inhalers as he did not know how to do so properly.

Following a request from the nurse to the prison GP, Mr Lawton was prescribed a tool to aid the inhalation of asthma medication and a tool to measure how open the lungs are.

The report says Mr Lawton was released at 9.30am on July 21, 2022, and attended his first probation appointment later that day in Stoke-on-Trent.

Mr Lawton reported he was “feeling well and glad about his release”.

The following day, Mr Lawton collapsed at around 12.28pm at his temporary accommodation and became unresponsive. His partner called an ambulance.

Paramedics arrived and started CPR but Mr Lawton was pronounced dead at 1.16pm. He was 45.

A post-mortem concluded he had died from bronchopneumonia – an acute inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. There was no inquest.

The report says: “We investigated Mr Lawton’s care in custody and preparation for release and found no issues of concern.

“The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care that Mr Lawton received was equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community.”