Steven Blake, a 38-year-old man from Oldham, was imprisoned at HMP Haverigg in Cumbria for a series of sexual offences involving child abuse imagery. In May 2022, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison after being convicted on three counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children, possession of extreme pornographic images, possession of prohibited images of children, and intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an indictable offence.
The offences came to light through an investigation by Greater Manchester Police's Online Child Abuse Investigation Team. Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Helen Vernon described Blake as 'a sexual predator with a keen and clear sexual interest in the sexual abuse of very young children.' She emphasised that he was 'just one of the many that we are investigating and working to bring to justice by putting them behind bars where they belong.'
While serving his sentence, Blake struggled with severe anxiety, exacerbated by concerns about his life outside prison, the nature of his offences, and conflicts with other prisoners. In 2023, he was prescribed medication for anxiety and was permitted to keep it in his cell, despite a previous suicide attempt within the prior twelve months. A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), which investigates deaths in custody, highlighted that healthcare staff failed to identify this recent suicide attempt from his medical history when assessing whether he could safely possess the medication in his cell. Additionally, no new risk assessment was conducted when a new drug was prescribed.
On 29 April 2023, Blake informed a fellow prisoner that he had taken an overdose of his prescribed medication. The fellow prisoner promptly alerted an officer, who initiated a medical emergency code blue and called for ambulances. Despite the compassionate and rapid response from prison officers, paramedics, and other staff, Blake's condition deteriorated, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The PPO report, authored by Ombudsman Adrian Usher, concluded that Blake had killed himself. Usher stated that the watchdog was 'satisfied' Blake had been well supported by prison and healthcare staff, and that staff 'could reasonably have identified that Mr Blake intended to end his life imminently.' The clinical reviewer affirmed that the clinical care provided was 'of a good standard.' However, the report raised concerns about the medication management and made several recommendations to the prison, including improved risk assessments for in-possession medication. It also noted that the prison handled the prisoner conflicts and subsequent investigations in a 'proportionate and reasonable manner.'
A coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide due to prescription drug overdose following an inquest into Blake's death. The PPO's findings were based on a thorough review of prison records, medical notes, and witness accounts from the incident.