A murderer was found dead at a Durham jail three days after being recalled to prison for breaching release terms.

Russell Irvine was found hanged in his cell at HMP Durham on November 7, 2022, aged 51.

The then-22-year-old was jailed for life in 1994 for battering a teenage girl to death after having sex with his victim, either before or after he killed her.

He was released from prison on licence after 29 years in October 2022, but on November 4 that year was recalled after breaching the conditions of his release.

A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) said Irvine told prison staff he was unhappy about his recall but had no thoughts of harming himself.

It said: “The Governor should implement a process for monitoring food collection, to ensure follow up action can be taken where necessary.”

During a routine check on the evening of November 7 he was found dead in his cell.

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Paramedics arrived and attempted CPR but he was confirmed dead that night.

The PPO report wrapped the prison for failing to notice Irvine had not eaten since his arrival, or noting down that he said he hadn’t eaten for two days before being taken into the prison.

It is understood the murderer had a history of refusing food and had been under mental health monitoring before.

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