The Zito Trust has welcomed the announcement of an inquiry into the death of Christopher Edwards – a remand prisoner held for psychiatric assessment who was killed by a fellow inmate, Richard Lindford.Edwards, who was held for a minor offence, was placed

The Zito Trust has welcomed the announcement of an inquiry into
the death of Christopher Edwards – a remand prisoner held for
psychiatric assessment who was killed by a fellow inmate, Richard
Lindford. Edwards, who was held for a minor offence, was placed in
a Chelmsford prison cell with Lindford, a diagnosed paranoid
schizophrenic with a history of violence (News, 27 April). The
inquiry was announced by the North Essex Health Authority.The
trust, together with Edwards parents, had lobbied hard for an
investigation. They are now pressing for the inquiry to be held in
public. The Edwards’ said they had been denied access to a Prison
Service inquiry into the case.The mental health charity SANE
(Schizophrenia: a National Emergency) also welcomed the inquiry.
Chief executive Marjorie Wallace described the incident as an
‘appalling catalogue of errors’.

Health authority sets up inquiry into remand death