Peter Sutcliffe's final days revealed in Prison Ombudsman report

The report was prepared following the serial murderer’s death from Covid-19 and pneumonia aged 74 in hospital on November 13, 2020, while a prisoner at HMP Frankland in Durham.

The PPO investigates all deaths in prison and the circumstances surrounding them, and what lessons should be learned in each case.

The report found the care Sutcliffe “received at Frankland was equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community”, and healthcare staff had acted “responsively and appropriately” when he became unwell.

Ombudsman Sue McAllister did however raise some concerns over his care, notably an eight hour wait for secure transport after being discharged from hospital, the use of restraints on Sutcliffe, and a delay by staff in removing them when instructed to do so.

Sutcliffe, also known as Peter Coonan and as the Yorkshire Ripper, was jailed on a whole life order in 1981 for 13 murders and seven attempted murders in West Yorkshire and Manchester from 1975 to 1980.

At the time of his death he had long-term health problems including Type 2 diabetes and heart conditions.

On October 28, 2020, he was sent to hospital after a scan found problems in his heart and he was fitted with a pacemaker and discharged, testing negative for hospital on arrival and on November 2.

He was discharged on November 3 but didn’t get back to prison until the early hours of November 4, difficulties obtaining secure transport leading to an eight-hour delay.

Sutcliffe tested positive for Covid-19 back at prison the same day, and spent more time in hospital on November 8 and 9 due to concerns about low oxygen saturation in his blood, vomiting and diarrhoea, but on both occasions he was discharged after is condition improved.

On November 10, Sutcliffe said there was “no point as all the too-ing and fro-ing isn’t helping him or doctors” when asked if he wanted moving back to hospital, but the prison GP spoke with a hospital consultant and agreed that while there was not much the hospital could do, he should be moved there as his kidney function had deteriorated.

He was moved to hospital at 7.30pm, and the heads of security and operations and healthcare staff at HMP Frankland agreed restraints wouldn’t be required due to his condition, however the on-call manager of the Long-Term and High Security Estate (LTHSE) Group rejected this and ordered an escort chain be used.

On November 12, when the prison manager was told Sutcliffe would die, the manager ordered the restraints be removed for decency at 10.40am, however it was not until 2.52pm that they actually were.

His condition continued to deteriorate and he was pronounced dead at 1.45am on November 13, 2020. All communications about his condition were relayed through a family liaison officer.

While the standard of care he received was fine, the PPO did raise issues about delays and restraints.

Ms McAllister found there was an eight-hour delay for his transport back to prison to be organised on November 4, and also that crucial information about Sutcliffe’s condition was missing from healthcare staff in his escort risk assessment, meaning staff “were unable to make informed decisions on whether it was justified to restrain him”.

She also found the restraints were left on Sutcliffe for too long when he entered palliative care, and said it was “disappointing” he was not given the chance to speak to his next of kin at the end of his life.

She has recommended to HMP Frankland that it needs to liaise better with the local hospital so they understand the limitations of healthcare facilities at the prison, and that healthcare staff must ensure they complete escort risk assessments fully to say whether a prisoner’s condition affects their mobility or risk of escape.

She also told the Governor messages about removing restraints must be communicated more quickly, and that staff should formally consider whether a terminally ill prisoner should be allowed to have contact with their next of kin.