A SUICIDAL prisoner who died of a drug overdose only two days after his release from prison should have had an appointment scheduled with a probation officer, according to the prison ombudsman.

Paul Davies, who had been detained at HMP Highpoint, Suffolk, was released from jail on Friday, February 25, last year – but no temporary or emergency accommodation had been put in place.

According to official papers from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Colchester Probation Office had arranged for Mr Davies to attend an appointment on the same day of his release, only for him to be unable to attend because police arrested him as soon as he left the prison gate.

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A warrant for his arrest, as well as there being outstanding charges against him, meant Mr Davies was due to attend court the day after he walked free, which he duly did.

But no probation appointment had been rearranged after Mr Davies, 50, was released on Saturday, February 26 after appearing in court.

He then travelled to Essex, where he was found dead by a person walking their dog on Monday, February 27, in Havering.

Police, who concluded there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, found his prison discharge papers in his pocket, with Mr Davies’s cause of death confirmed as a heroin overdose.

Gazette: HMP Highpoint, which is 31 miles north west of Colchester, is a Category C prisonHMP Highpoint, which is 31 miles north west of Colchester, is a Category C prison (Image: Google Street View)

Only two months before he was due to walk free, however, Mr Davies was given a questionnaire, in which he wrote he intended to commit suicide.

He wrote: "I intend to commit suicide on my release day – I won't need to go anywhere.

"I don't want nothing from anyone as I will be dead before lunch on 26th Feb."

The official report, prepared by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, read: "With the benefit of hindsight about Mr Davies’ subsequent actions, we might have expected the community offender manager to have at least spoken to him about his potential risk of suicide."

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The service recommended the head of North Essex Probation Delivery Unit ensures "the community offender manager reschedules and maintains induction appointments for their service users should they be unable to attend their initial following release."

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "The Probation Service in North Essex has implemented the PPO's findings and we are supporting a change in the law to end the vast majority of Friday releases so offenders can access the housing and healthcare services they need ahead of the weekend."