BREAKING: A North East Prison has been criticised after a seriously ill convicted paedophile and groomer was “kept in handcuffs for three weeks” while being treated in hospital before dying in custody

A North East prison has been criticised after a report found a seriously ill prisoner was kept in handcuffs for nearly three weeks while being treated in hospital. Thomas Cole, a convicted paedophile from Walker in Newcastle, was restrained for 20 days despite being elderly, seriously unwell and assessed as a low security risk.

Cole was jailed indefinitely in 2009 with a minimum term of four years for grooming a 14-year-old boy. He had previous convictions for sexual offences against boys and died in 2022 at the age of 73 while serving his sentence at HMP Northumberland.

A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman found that while Cole’s medical care before his hospital admission met expected standards, his treatment after returning to prison following surgery fell below what he should have received.

The report states that Cole complained of recurring chest pain in March 2022, which persisted for several days before he was examined by healthcare staff and taken to hospital. He was escorted by two prison officers and restrained with handcuffs.

In April, Cole underwent heart bypass surgery and was discharged from hospital on May 7. His discharge summary set out clear follow-up actions for prison healthcare staff, including blood tests and a GP review two to three days after discharge to ensure his condition had stabilised.

Six days later, on May 13, Cole was found unresponsive. Resuscitation attempts by prison staff and paramedics were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was coronary artery graft thrombosis, a known complication following heart bypass surgery.

The ombudsman’s report concluded that there was no evidence the blood tests or GP checks specified in the hospital discharge summary were carried out after Cole returned to prison. It also highlighted the prolonged use of restraints as a serious failing.

Despite Cole’s age, reduced mobility, serious heart condition and low security risk, he remained in handcuffs for the first 20 days of his hospital stay. The restraints were removed on the day of his surgery but reapplied when he was transported back to prison.

The report noted that Cole was a category C prisoner on the enhanced level of the prison’s privileges scheme, had no recent disciplinary issues and required a walking stick due to balance problems. It stated that restraining a 73-year-old man with heart disease and angina, who had recently suffered a heart attack and was awaiting triple heart bypass surgery, was “inexplicable and morally indefensible”.

The ombudsman made several recommendations, including that prison and healthcare leaders ensure all staff involved in escorting prisoners to hospital fully understand the legal framework governing the use of restraints and carry out proper risk assessments.

A spokesperson for HMP Northumberland said the prison’s thoughts remained with Cole’s family and confirmed that staff had cooperated fully with the investigation. The spokesperson said the prison and its healthcare provider, Spectrum, had accepted the recommendations and were working together to implement the agreed actions.