A coroner has written directly to the Justice Secretary, warning that a British Asian man's murder in a London prison was 'wholly avoidable' and that systemic failures risk future deaths.
A Fatal and Preventable Error
Sundeep Ghuman, a British Asian prisoner, died in February 2020 after being violently assaulted with a table leg by his cellmate at HMP Belmarsh in south-east London. His killer, Stevie Hilden, was a known member of the so-called Racist Army of Woolwich. Hilden was sentenced to life in prison for the murder in 2022.
The fatal attack occurred just 11 days after Hilden and his cousin were placed in Mr Ghuman's triple-occupancy cell. A subsequent inquest and a Prevention of Future Deaths report by Coroner David Manknell KC have revealed a catastrophic series of failures that allowed this to happen.
Systemic Failures in Risk Assessment
Coroner Manknell found critical fault with Belmarsh's handling of the Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) for Stevie Hilden. The inquest concluded that Hilden's well-documented history of racist and violent behaviour was not properly accounted for.
Shockingly, the report found that many staff at the prison, including senior management, were unaware of an existing Belmarsh policy. This policy stipulated that prisoners marked as racist should be deemed 'high risk' and should only be housed with individuals of the same ethnicity.
The prison officer who conducted Hilden's CSRA in 2019 was aware of an active alert for racism. However, because the alert was considered old and Hilden presented no immediate concern during a conversation, the officer disregarded it. Mr Manknell stated this 'unstructured approach and lack of training' created a direct risk of fatal racist violence.
A Culture of Violence and Drug Use
The coroner's concerns extended beyond this single incident, painting a troubling picture of life inside Belmarsh. He found 'widespread levels of violence' between prisoners and 'seemingly ubiquitous levels' of synthetic cannabinoid (spice) use.
Mr Manknell reported that staff had become resigned to regular violence, partly due to the nature of the prison's population. He also noted that a 'very significant proportion' of inmates were spice users. This environment, he warned, meant the prison may not be capable of providing a safe and secure environment, with a continued risk of future deaths from either drug use or violence.
In response to the damning report, a Prison Service spokesperson said: 'This was a horrible act of violence, and our thoughts remain with Mr Ghuman's family.' They outlined a national £40m investment in security, including more CCTV, control room upgrades, and increased searches to intercept contraband.
The Ministry of Justice added that HMP Belmarsh is working to address the issues raised and is using X-ray body scanners, detection dogs, and restricted fly zones to stem the flow of drugs.
