Former Feltham governor reveals ‘racially motivated’ incident at prison

 
Prison staff handcuffed an inmate from an ethnic minority
background to cell bars and smeared black boot polish on his
buttocks at Feltham Young Offender Institution, the public inquiry
into the death of Zahid Mubarek has heard, writes Maria
Ahmed.

Giving evidence, former Feltham YOI governor Nicholas Pascoe
described the incident as “disgraceful,” and said he
believed it had been racially motivated.

He told the inquiry three members of staff were given a final
written warning, but were not prosecuted after a critical witness
failed to appear and their defence of “horseplay” was
accepted by the court.

The prison officers were still working at Feltham YOI two years
later when Mubarek, 19, was beaten to death by his cellmate Robert
Stewart, then also 19, in March 2000.

 The inquiry continues.