Mother calls for HMP Pentonville closure after inquest finds catalogue of failures in son's suicide death

The mother of a man who died at HMP Pentonville has demanded the prison be shut down after a coroner's inquest revealed a string of institutional failings that contributed to his death. Gareth Chumber-Kelly, 33, took his own life in July 2023 after just four days on remand at the Victorian-era facility. The inquest, concluded in January 2026, found that critical suicide warning paperwork had been lost and that the inmate received no mental health support whatsoever. Saroj Chumber said the prison environment amounted to a death sentence for her son and argued the facility is no longer fit for purpose.

Falsified records and understaffing

The inquest, led by Coroner Jonathan Stevens, uncovered that observation records at the prison had been falsified. On the wing where Chumber-Kelly was held, only four officers were on duty despite a requirement for nine. When staff eventually discovered the inmate, they failed to provide life-saving measures.

Coroner Stevens noted that the recommendations he issued following this case were identical to those he had made two years earlier about safety at the same prison. Despite the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) insisting that action has been taken, a further five suicides have been recorded at HMP Pentonville since 2023, including the deaths of Rickie Poon and Mujahid Adam, both in 2025.

Ageing infrastructure hampers security

The prison's Victorian-era fabric is creating physical security challenges. Plans to install anti-drone netting were abandoned after it emerged that the London stock brick walls were too weak to support the structure — this at a time when drone-related contraband incidents across the prison estate have surged by 1,000% in four years.

The government has pledged £10 million for anti-drone measures as part of a wider £50 million investment, but prison officials have highlighted the difficulty of securing older buildings. Justice Secretary David Lammy recently visited Ukraine to study drone countermeasure technologies that might be adapted for the custodial estate.

Wider prison safety crisis

The failings at HMP Pentonville reflect a deteriorating picture across prisons in England and Wales. In the 12 months to September 2025, there were 3,544 serious assaults — an 8% year-on-year increase. Prison suicides rose by 32% over the same period, reaching 119.

Experts point to several factors driving the decline in safety:

• Staffing shortages: Prison officer numbers fell by approximately 1,000 by the end of 2025 compared with the previous year.
• Mental health access: Medical professionals report that courts are increasingly sending mentally ill individuals to prison instead of hospital, despite the severe difficulty in accessing specialist psychiatric care behind bars.
• Overcrowding: Analysis suggests overcrowding increases the likelihood of violence within the prison estate by around 19%.

The Howard League for Penal Reform has called for radical changes, citing a 21% rise in self-injury and a 42% increase in serious assaults on staff in recent reporting periods. While the MOJ maintains it is taking steps to reduce violence and improve mental health support, bereaved families and reform groups continue to push for more fundamental changes to custodial management.

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