A REMAND prisoner who was found hanged had not been placed on a suicide watch, a jury was told yesterday.

At an inquest into the death of Terence Gaskell, 33, in Durham Jail, in October 2002, cellmate Michael Graham, a serving prisoner, said: "I got the impression that he definitely intended to kill himself."

The hearing in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was told that Mr Gaskell had been arrested for the attempted murder of his girlfriend at her home in Low Fell, Gateshead, in June 2002.

His solicitor, Peter Moran, said that before he was arrested, Mr Gaskell had driven in the dark at speeds of up to 130mph and without lights, to his home town of Wigan, Greater Manchester.

He had taken barbiturates and then fed a vacuum cleaner extension from his car exhaust and sat in the vehicle with the engine running.

Dr Thomas Doherty, head of primary care medicine at the prison, confirmed it had been noted on arrival that he had attempted to take his own life. It was recommended that he be accommodated in a communal cell with a 15-minute or intermittent watch.

He was discharged from the health care unit with a note that he be placed on a self- harm watch for one month, but this was stopped after four days.

Dr Doherty, who saw him for the first time three months before his death, said Mr Gaskell had shown no evidence of depression and had not indicated he had wished to harm himself. The hearing continues.