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The former director general of the Prison Service who headed the organisation at the time of Zahid Mubarek’s death considered resigning following the teenager’s murder, an inquiry heard today, writes Maria Ahmed at the inquiry.

Zahid Mubarek

In a statement to the inquiry into Mubarek’s death, Martin Narey said he had discussed his resignation with the then home secretary Jack Straw, but decided afterwards to remain in post following Straw’s encouragement.

The chief executive of the national offender management service also told the inquiry he had received a death threat and personal hate mail following his attempts to prioritise race relations training within the Prison Service.

He said that the Prison Service had failed to convince staff that race relations should be a priority because he had come across two prison governors who were hostile to the idea of training.

Under his leadership, the Prison Service became the first organisation to ban BNP membership.

Mubarek, 19, was battered to death by his cellmate Robert Stewart then also 19, at Feltham Young Offender Institution in March 2000.

Narey also told the inquiry that another death like Mubarek’s could happen again if overcrowding in prisons was not addressed.

He also criticised the “gross” conditions caused by overcrowding.

Narey admitted cell-sharing risk assessments of prisoners introduced after the killing were “not fool-proof”.

He also told the inquiry that the “exceptional and horrifying” attack had been preventable, but said there was “no guarantee” that a similar incident could not happen again.

He blamed “harsh” sentencing policies for the rise in the prison population, including the growing use of custodies for “relatively minor” offences.

Narey told the inquiry: “Unless we get a more balanced approach to sentencing, this problem will remain.”

The inquiry continues.