Brain damaged prisoner awarded £4.7m
April 20, 2010
A prisoner has been awarded £4.7m in compensation after suffering brain damage when he fell off the top bunk of a bed in Brixton Prison during a fit. The prison authorities were aware from the time of his admission that Ryan St George was an intravenous heroin user, a heavy drinker and, crucially, that he had been suffering epileptic seizures. Despite having formed a view "within a minute" that he would need to go to hospital, an ambulance was not called until 39 minutes after prison officers discovered that the accident had occurred. Then, when the ambulance did arrive, it became stuck at the prison gates for reasons that have never been fully explained. The High Court initially made a finding of 15% contributory negligence on the part of Mr St George in 2007 due to his "lifestyle choices" but the Court of Appeal allowed his appeal against this ruling a year later. The payout includes a lump sum payment as well as a periodical payment order to pay for the 24 hour care that he now needs. The courts have recognised that, whatever anyone's past misdemeanours, prisoners are entitled to demand a certain standard of care, even while being detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure.