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| Prisoner suicide was preventable | Prisoner suicide was preventable |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The suicide of a woman in Maghaberry prison in March 2004 could have been prevented, a jury has found. | The suicide of a woman in Maghaberry prison in March 2004 could have been prevented, a jury has found. |
| The coroner's court heard the prison system failed Roseanne Irvine, 34, who was found hanging in her cell, even though she was on suicide watch. | The coroner's court heard the prison system failed Roseanne Irvine, 34, who was found hanging in her cell, even though she was on suicide watch. |
| The jury found there was a severe lack of communication, a failure to manage the suicide watch system, and a lack of health care for female prisoners. | The jury found there was a severe lack of communication, a failure to manage the suicide watch system, and a lack of health care for female prisoners. |
| The coroner is to write to the Prison Service head and the NI secretary. | The coroner is to write to the Prison Service head and the NI secretary. |
| John Leckey said he would be asking them to give appropriate consideration to the points raised by the jury. | John Leckey said he would be asking them to give appropriate consideration to the points raised by the jury. |
| Ms Irvine suffered from mental problems and alcohol dependency, and had tried to kill herself before while in custody. | Ms Irvine suffered from mental problems and alcohol dependency, and had tried to kill herself before while in custody. |
| The mother of a young daughter, she was on remand on an arson charge when she died. | |
| 'Very sad' | |
| Her sister, Josephine Joyce, said it was "very sad that anybody can treat a human being like that". | |
| "I just hope that nobody else is ever treated this way," she said. | |
| Prison Service director Robin Masefield expressed his regret at the death of Ms Irvine. | |
| He admitted there had been failings in the past, but said they were working to implement the 30 recommendations that were contained in a report commissioned after her death. | |
| "Within the service, we have, of course, moved the women from Maghaberry to Ash House in Hydebank Wood in 2004," he said. | |
| "Perhaps most significantly, last September we updated our overall suicide and self harm policy." |