Woman who thought she was poisoned with tapeworm eggs describes ‘rife’ self-harm in prison
When Bryony was held in prison, she says self-harm was “rife”.
The then 27-year-old – who had no criminal record – was arrested when she was having delusions she was being poisoned.
After her mother’s death from pancreatic cancer, Bryony (not her real name) started to develop mental health problems while she was a university student.
They culminated in a psychosis where she believed there was a tapeworm in her brain which was killing her. Bryony thought a local takeaway worker had poisoned her food with tapeworm eggs.
In the midst of her psychosis in 2017, she threatened to kill the man if he didn’t admit to drugging her and put a match through the door of the takeaway.
Bryony was arrested for malicious communication and attempted arson and placed on remand in the mental-health wing of HMP Styal in Cheshire.
Warning: This story contains references to self-harm
Once in prison, Bryony said she was “so depressed” that she self-harmed for the first-time.
Bryony suffered mental health problems at the time she was held in prison
“I couldn’t see any other option,” she said.
“It was basically a way to cope with my surroundings.
“When you’re psychotic and depressed, being locked away in a cell is one of the worst things you can do to someone.”
Prisoner ‘tried to disembowel himself’
The extent to which mentally unwell prisoners are going to hurt themselves has been revealed in a new report seen exclusively by Sky News.
And there are concerns the problem is being worsened by people with mental health problems being held in prisons for too long before they are transferred to psychiatric hospitals.
The report, from chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor, says some mentally unwell prisoners are “so driven to harming themselves they have… removed teeth or maimed themselves to the point of exposing their own intestines, frequently causing life-changing injuries”.
Mr Taylor told Sky News: “We came across a case where a prisoner was, in effect, attempting to disembowel himself.”
Despite these shocking examples, some prisoners are waiting more than a year to be transferred to psychiatric hospitals.
The chief inspector of prisons’ report says inmates are suffering life-changing injuries from self-harm. File pic: PA
NHS guidance says the time between the identification of the need for hospital admission and the transfer to hospital should take no more than 28 days. For those with an urgent need, the transfer should take place faster.
Mr Taylor said this is not happening in 85% of cases – and the average wait time is almost three months.
Prison officers receive limited training in mental health and risk being injured in their interactions with unwell prisoners.
Therefore, many unwell prisoners who are dangerous or difficult to manage end up in solitary confinement for long periods, worsening their condition.
Latest figures show there was a 17% increase in the rate of self-harm incidents among prisoners in England and Wales in the year to June 2023 – with a record level for female inmates.
The Ministry of Justice said there were “notable differences in self-harm trends by gender” – as the rate in female prisons increased “considerably by 63% to a new peak (6,213 incidents per 1,000 prisoners)”, compared to a rise of 3% in male prisons (555 incidents per 1,000 prisoners).
‘She was suffering, really suffering’
Sarah Reed had schizophrenia and was sent to HMP Holloway in 2015.
She was sent to the prison for psychiatric reports to be obtained to confirm whether she was fit to stand trial for an alleged assault, which occurred while she was sectioned as a patient at a psychiatric hospital.
Sarah Reed died after ‘unacceptable delays in psychiatric assessment’
In prison, Sarah was taken off her antipsychotic medication and placed in segregation, where her health rapidly declined.
Sarah’s mother Marilyn Reed told Sky News: “She kept saying ‘mum, I need my meds, I can’t sleep’. She also had these two black eyes. She was suffering, really suffering.
“The last thing she said to me was ‘get me out of here’.”
On 11 January 2016, Sarah was found unresponsive in her cell.
An inquest jury concluded unacceptable delays in psychiatric assessment and failures in care contributed to her death.
A court heard how she spent her final days in a filthy cell, kept in virtual isolation with no visits or telephone calls to family.
The prison closed in July 2016.
Marilyn Reed spoke to Sky News about the death of her daughter Sarah
According to the chief inspector for prisons, there are two reasons for the long delays in transferring acutely mentally unwell prisoners to mental health facilities: bureaucracy and the lack of beds in psychiatric facilities.
Latest NHS figures show 90.5% of overnight beds reserved for mental illness are occupied.
Read more:
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Huge cost of keeping inmates on indefinite sentences revealed
While there are long delays in transferring prisoners to hospital, Mr Taylor says he has concerns about the way prisons are used “as an alternative to a hospital bed”.
Prisons continue to be used “as a place of safety”, which means people can be remanded in custody during a mental health crisis solely because there are no available hospital places.
Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor
Mr Taylor described hearing about a woman who had deliberately jumped in front of traffic four times in the hope that it would end her life. The woman was arrested for a public order offence and remanded in prison.
The draft of the Mental Health Bill sought to remove the use of prison as a place of safety and to reform the Bail Act to prevent courts from remanding defendants for their own protection, solely for mental health reasons.
The bill also proposed a statutory time limit of 28 days to complete transfers from prisons to hospital.
However, the bill was not included in the King’s Speech in November 2023, meaning that there will be no legislative reform of the Mental Health Act.
Sky’s Alice Porter spoke to Bryony
Prison ‘made illness 10 times worse’
Bryony spent six months in prison before appearing in court where she was given a hospital order and transferred to a mental health facility.
There she was given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and began treatment.
“I started to get better straight away,” she said.
“I don’t know if getting arrested and getting sent to prison was the right response.
“I think perhaps it might have been more beneficial if I’d have been taken straight to hospital instead of prison.
“I’ve never seen people so ill before. And prison just made that illness 10 times worse.”
A government spokesperson said: “Offenders are entitled to access mental health support in prison, where they are also helped to get off drugs and into rehabilitation.
“NHS England is investing in post-custody care to help prison leavers access their community-based health services – helping to reduce reoffending, cut crime and protect the public.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Sir Keir Starmer will launch his plan to deliver millions more appointments across the NHS and to reduce waiting times to 18 weeks over the next five years.
The prime minister will lay out how greater access to community diagnostic centres (CDCs) will help deliver up to half a million more appointments, alongside 14 new surgical hubs and three expanded existing hubs.
Up to a million appointments could be freed up by giving patients the choice to forego follow-up appointments currently booked by default, the government says.
Overall, the plan will involve a drive to deliver two million extra appointments by the end of next year.
The aim of the reforms is that by the end of March 2026, an extra 450,000 patients will be treated within 18 weeks.
Figures published by NHS England last month showed an estimated 7.54 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of October – the lowest figure since March 2024.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the last time the NHS met the target of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks was in 2015.
The reforms for England will also see an overhaul of the NHS app to give patients greater choice over where they choose to have their appointment and will also provide greater detail to the patient including their results and waiting times.
The first step in the digital overhaul will be completed by March 2025, when patients at over 85% of acute trusts will be able to view their appointment details via the NHS app, the government said.
They’ll also be able to contact their provider and receive updates, including how long they are likely to wait for treatment.
In the effort to free-up one million appointments, patients will be given more choice over non-essential follow up appointments, while GPs will also be given funding to receive specialist advice from doctors before they make any referrals.
Sir Keir is expected to say: “This government promised change and that is what I am fighting every day to deliver.
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Streeting: ‘We’re going as far and as fast as we can’
“NHS backlogs have ballooned in recent years, leaving millions of patients languishing on waiting lists, often in pain or fear. Lives on hold. Potential unfulfilled.
“This elective reform plan will deliver on our promise to end the backlogs. Millions more appointments. Greater choice and convenience for patients. Staff once again able to give the standard of care they desperately want to.”
The CDCs will be open 12 hours a day and seven days a week wherever possible. Patients will be able to access a broader range of appointments in locations that are more convenient for them and which may speed up the pace of treatment.
The government believes its plan will help it to deliver the equivalent to 40,000 extra appointments a week in its first year – which was one of Sir Keir’s six key pledges.
Chancellor Rachel Reeve pledged £22bn over the next two years to cut NHS waiting times in her October budget, but some in the sector fear a workforce shortage means the prime minister’s ambitions will be hard to achieve.
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There have been some concerns that giving patients choice of the location of their treatment may see some hospitals in greater demand than others – but Health Secretary Wes Streeting said this was a “matter of principle”.
“When I was diagnosed with kidney cancer, I was inundated with colleagues in parliament who were asking who my surgeon was, whether I was going to the best place for treatment, whether I was exercising my right to choose in the NHS,” he said.
“Now, it turned out I had one of the best kidney cancer surgeons in the country assigned to me by the NHS, so I was lucky.
“But frankly, someone like my mum as a cleaner should have as much choice and power in the NHS as her son, the health secretary.”
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the government’s plan was an “ambitious blueprint”.
“The radical reforms in this plan will not only allow us to deliver millions more tests, appointments and operations, but do things differently too – boosting convenience and putting more power in the hands of patients, especially through the NHS app.”
An amber warning for snow and ice, with the risk of freezing rain, covers most of Wales and central England until midday on Sunday.
Freezing rain, which makes up what are commonly known as ice storms in North America, is a rarity in the UK because the conditions for it are quite specific, according to the Met Office.
But what is it and how is it different to snow?
Freezing rain is rainfall that has become “supercooled” as it falls from the sky.
Up to 30cm of snow expected in parts of UK – follow live
It starts when snow, ice, sleet or hail high up in the atmosphere melts into rain when it falls through the layers of warmer air below.
If the rain then passes through a sub-zero layer of air just above the ground, it can remain liquid and instead become “supercooled”. This is the key to freezing rain.
Supercooled water will freeze on impact – forming a clear layer of ice on cold surfaces such as trees, roads and power lines.
Why is it dangerous?
It’s once it hits the surface and turns to ice that it can pose a real threat.
The ice is very clear, often referred to as black ice, because it is so difficult to see, making it treacherous for pedestrians and drivers.
Freezing rain on a car. Pic: iStock
Sky News meteorologist Kirsty McCabe explains: “The supercooled rain hits the ground and freezes instantly on impact, and that creates a thin layer of ice, also known as glaze, and it’s clear, so you can’t see the ice, which makes it really treacherous.”
If it hits power lines or tree branches, depending on how much rain there has been, the weight of the ice can cause them to break off because they can’t support the weight.
It can also make it difficult to open your car door if there is enough of it.
Get the five-day forecast where you are
Where is it expected to fall?
From 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday an amber warning for snow and ice, with the risk of freezing rain, covers most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and Liverpool and Manchester in the North West.
But McCabe says it’s Wales where people should be particularly wary of freezing rain.
What precautions should people take?
The best thing people can do is take extra care when travelling. As it is so hard to see, it’s difficult to judge just how icy road surfaces are.
The RAC says freezing rain is arguably the most treacherous of all conditions for motorists.
They urge people not to drive unless necessary, but say those who do need to should check they have plenty of fuel and oil and check their tyre treads.
They also encourage drivers to make sure their lights are working and check they have screenwash.
UK
King deeply saddened by death of Briton in New Orleans attack – as reports say victim is stepson of ex-royal nanny
The King is deeply saddened by the death of a British man who was killed in the attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day – amid reports he was the stepson of an ex-royal nanny.
Edward Pettifer, from Chelsea, west London, was fatally injured in the tragedy, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.
Sky News understands the King was made aware of Mr Pettifer’s death through official channels, was deeply saddened, and has been in touch with the family to share personal condolences.
The 31-year-old’s family said they were “devastated” by his death.
“He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many,” the family said in a statement.
“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack. We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private.”
New Orleans’ coroner said the preliminary cause of death for Mr Pettifer was blunt force injuries.
Emergency crews at the scene of the attack. Pic: AP
FBI agents at the scene. Pic: Reuters
Fourteen people were killed and dozens injured when 42-year-old army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s rented truck rammed into people in New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the attack was “premeditated” and an “evil” act of terrorism, and added Jabbar was “100% inspired by ISIS”, also known as Islamic State.
An IS flag was attached to the pick-up truck that was driven down Bourbon Street
The preliminary cause of death for all the victims was blunt force injuries, according to the New Orleans coroner.
The coroner has identified most of those killed in the attack, with efforts continuing to identify the final female victim.
• Edward Pettifer, 31, from Chelsea, west London
• Andrew Dauphin, 26, from Montgomery, Alabama
• Kareem Badawi, 23, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Brandon Taylor, 43, from Harvey, Louisiana
• Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, from Gretna, Louisiana
• Matthew Tenedorio, 25, from Picayune, Mississippi
• Ni’Kyra Dedeaux, 18, from Gulfport, Mississippi
• Nicole Perez, 27, from Metairie, Louisiana
• Reggie Hunter, 37, from Prairieville, Louisiana
• Martin Bech, 27, from New York City, New York
• Terrence Kennedy, 63, from New Orleans, Louisiana
• Elliot Wilkinson, 40, from Slidell, Louisiana
• William DiMaio, 25, from Holmdel, New Jersey
Some of the victims of the New Orleans attack, clockwise from top left: Reggie Hunter, Martin ‘Tiger’ Bech, Nicole Perez and Matthew Tenedorio
William DiMaio (left) and Terrence Kennedy
Read more:
What we know about suspect
British man, aspiring nurse and Princeton University football player among victims
Did New Orleans authorities fail the victims of the New Year terror attack?
An Islamic State (IS) flag, weapons, and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED) were found in the vehicle used in the attack, the FBI said.
The suspect posted five videos on social media before the rampage in support of IS, the agency added.
In his first clip, Jabbar said he was planning to harm his own family and friends, but was concerned headlines would not focus on the “war between the believers and disbelievers”, said Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division.
Jabbar also joined IS “before this summer”, and provided a will, the FBI chief said.
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The half-brother of the attack suspect said ‘this wasn’t the man I knew’
In an interview with a Texas-based TV station, owned by Sky News’ partner network NBC News, Jabbar’s younger half-brother said he was thinking about all those impacted by the attack.
Abdur-Rahim Jabbar said: “This is a tragedy. We’re all grieving about this.”
The suspect was a Muslim, with his sibling adding: “This wasn’t the man I knew. This wasn’t the father, the son that I knew.
“And that also, this isn’t any representation of Islam or Muslims or the Muslim community.”
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