On 17 March 2026, a jury sitting in Avon Coroners Court returned a critical conclusion concerning the death of Clare Dupree.
Clare, who had a history of severe mental illness, died following a fire ignited in her cell on Boxing Day 2022.
Her death was the third in the women’s prison Eastwood Park in 2022, following the deaths of Kay Melhuish and Taylor Atkinson. As with those cases, her death raises profound concerns about the suicide and self-harm safeguarding arrangements (“ACCT) at Eastwood Park at that time.
Clare’s death also raises significant questions about delays in rolling out automatic fire detection in parts of the prison estate. As the jury heard, this is an issue that impacts 46 other prisons, and the Ministry of Justice has recognised the problem since at least 2015.
The jury also criticised elements of Clare’s care from the community mental health team. It found that a misdiagnosis of a personality disorder contributed to the fact of her incarceration, and that the rejection of two referrals for hospital transfer was a missed opportunity to ensure that she received appropriate care.
Clare was 48 at the time of her death. She had a large and supportive family, including six daughters.
Nick Armstrong KC led Robbie Stern for the family, instructed by Clare Hayes, Betty McCann and Maja Pegler of Deighton Pierce Glynn.
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