Police considered bringing charges against Prison Service

Police considered bringing corporate manslaughter charges
against the Prison Service following the death of Zahid Mubarek, an
inquiry heard yesterday, writes Maria
Ahmed.

Director general of the Prison Service Philip Wheatley made the
statement at the public inquiry into the murder of Mubarek by his
cellmate Robert Stewart.

Wheatley also said that while prison staff were
“overwhelmed” by the aftermath of the killing at
Feltham Young Offender Institution in March 2000, there was
resistance to change.

He said: “There was a major police inquiry going on. There was a
major Prison Service inquiry going on. Police were contemplating
corporate manslaughter charges. There were people looking and
thinking, “Were we part of this? Could we have done something
differently?”, or personally felt very badly about it and quite
properly so.”

Last week, the inquiry also heard the first rebuttal of claims
that prison staff at Feltham put black and white prisoners in the
same cells in a Gladiator-style game.

Wheatley is also giving evidence Tuesday and is expected to
finish on Wednesday 16th February.

The inquiry continues.