Investigation and inquest
On 18 November 2024 an investigation into the death of Thomas Daniel RUGGIERO was commenced. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest heard by me and before a jury between 9 - 20 March 2026. The conclusion of the inquest was:
Mr Ruggiero died by ligaturing himself in circumstances where his intention could not be ascertained.
1a Hanging
1b
1c
1d
II
Circumstances of the death
Thomas Daniel Ruggiero was 39 years of age at the time of his death. He was serving an eight year prison sentence. At the time of his death he was held at HMP Swaleside.
Mr Ruggiero had complex mental health needs and his diagnoses included severe Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), and Polysubstance misuse. As a result of these diagnoses, Mr Ruggiero was well known to self-harm and was at heightened risk. He had been subject to the ACCT provisions on numerous occasions and had had multiple stays in the in-patient unit or IPD at HMP Swaleside.
While still subject to the ACCT and requiring hourly observations, Mr Ruggiero was found unresponsive in his cell at HMP Swaleside on the morning of 16 November 2024, having ligatured. Following attempts at treatment and resuscitation, Mr Ruggiero died at the prison later that day.
Coroner’s concerns
(1) There is a policy requirement / expectation that a member of the healthcare team should attend all ACCT reviews. In this case, there were numerous instances that this was not met. While I heard evidence of some improvement, it was accepted that there were ongoing issues with securing the attendance of the mental health team (where required) at ACCT reviews. I was insufficiently reassured that the matter has been addressed and I consider that there is ongoing risk to particularly vulnerable prisoners for whom the ACCT processes should act as a safety-net and protective factor.