Coroner sets guidelines for inquest into death of prisoner after incident in cell

A jury will sit at the inquest into the death of a Kirkham Prison inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell.

Jamie Evans, 32, died in hospital in November 2025 after attempts to revive him failed.

Blackpool and Fylde chief coroner Alan Wilson said that a forensic pathology report on Mr Evans’ death was still awaited and that he was considering transcripts from the probation ombudsman and a report on mental health care within the prison during his investigation.

The law states that, while most inquests are conducted by a coroner alone, a jury must be called in specific circumstances, which include if the death occurred in prison, police custody, or state detention.

Mr Wilson said that the inquest could take place in December or January, with another review hearing likely to take place in late August or early September.

No details were given at the review hearing regarding Mr Evans’ cause of death.

Mr Wilson said: “There is still a lot of work to do in this matter. We are at the beginning of a process which could take some months.”