An inmate convicted of child rape was discovered deceased in his prison cell, reportedly taking his own life out of fear of potential harm from other prisoners upon learning about his crimes. Brian Jordan, aged 60, ended his life shortly after beginning his seven-year, seven-month sentence at HMP Durham for offenses including rape and indecent assault on a girl. His suicide occurred after he became distressed and anxious about potential attacks following widespread media coverage of his conviction.
An investigation by the Prisons and Probations Ombudsman (PPO) concluded that prison staff could not have anticipated Jordan’s suicide, as he had initially denied any suicidal thoughts or need for mental health evaluation upon his transfer to HMP Durham. Despite being housed in the Vulnerable Prisoners section, Jordan showed no signs of self-harm risk in the days leading up to his death.
On the day of his passing, Jordan became agitated and fearful after learning details of his cellmate’s offense through an online news article read to him by his son during a phone call. Subsequently, he was found hanging in his cell by an officer who immediately initiated emergency procedures, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, leading to Jordan’s death being confirmed by paramedics.
A post-mortem examination determined that Jordan’s cause of death was hanging, with toxicology tests revealing prior cannabis use but ruling out its influence on his actions. The PPO investigation praised the prompt response to the emergency, with a subsequent jury inquest officially ruling the incident as suicide.