A man died shortly after leaving prison, when prison and probation services "missed opportunities" to communicate about the risk he posed to himself, a report into his death has concluded. 

Christopher MacGillivray was found dead at his home - only days after being released from HMP Durham, where he was being held for violating the conditions of his bail. 

Though he was serving two concurrent suspended sentences in the community for motoring and violent offences, he had been remanded in custody on October 9, 2021.

During his stay in prison, staff had begun mental health prevention procedures on the 34-year-old, after he told a member of the drug and alcohol recovery team that he might harm himself. 

The Northern Echo:

But when Mr MacGillivray was released, no information about his risk to himself, or the mental health procedures he had been under in prison, was passed to the probation service. 

Mr MacGillivray's former partner found him in his flat on October 14, 2021, and an inquest earlier this month concluded that he had died whilst under the influence of both cocaine and alcohol. 

Now, in a new report the ombudsman has criticised the prison and probation service for a "lack of handover" between Mr MacGillivray's prison and probation officers about his suicide and self harm risk. 

Sue McAllister, CB, from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, advised that prison governors should ensure that: "Where a prisoner has been subject to suicide and self harm monitoring within 12 months of release, staff share relevant risk information with probation colleagues, including the community offender manager, prior to release."

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Her report said there "was a missed opportunity" by North East probation services to explore Mr MacGillivray's previous suicide attempts, and strategise about how to manage his low moods.

Ms McAllister also noted an incomplete handover between his probation managers in the months preceding his death, and that his probation managers who worked closely with the ex prisoner were not offered support after his death. 

The Prison and Probation Ombudsman said: "The Regional Probation Director North East should ensure that officers complete detailed handovers when a case is transferred and record details in the probation record, and undertake a thorough review of records when given a new case."

HMP Durham is a category B prison which holds up to approximately 1000 male prisoners who have either been convicted or are on remand. It is managed by Her Majesty’s Prison Service.

Probation services supervise individuals serving community orders, provide offenders with resettlement services while they are in prison (in anticipation of their release) and supervise all individuals sentenced for offences committed after the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014, for a minimum of 12 months after they are released from prison.