Prison 'failed to follow procedures over release'

A prison failed to follow proper procedures when releasing a man who was stabbed to death in Nottingham while on licence, a report has found.

Four men were jailed for life in September 2023 after Ricardo Cotteral was ambushed outside Wax Bar on 24 April 2022.

The 33-year-old was serving a sentence at HMP Sudbury, an open prison in Derbyshire, when he was attacked, and had been released more than 100 times before without incident.

A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) said the jail's processes for assessing release "were sub-optimal and did not allow for all relevant information to be considered".

The PPO said Cotteral had been released "many times" on licence before the day he was killed, and found there "was no particular intelligence to suggest that his life was at risk in the community".

However, it found it was "not possible for us to make a firm judgement on the appropriateness" on his release "because the correct processes were not followed".

"Processes for granting [release] at Sudbury were not as robust as they should have been, and information related to Mr Cotteral's suspected involvement in illicit activity in the prison was not considered," the report said.

Healthcare staff at the prison "did not contribute" to an assessment of his eligibility for release, the report said, while there was "no evidence" of action being taken after staff said Cotteral "had access to a mobile phone and was suspected of being involved in the prison's illicit drug market".

It urged the governor to ensure all release decisions are discussed by the board "and any other relevant individuals", urgent reviews take place on cases where a risk is identified, and for prison staff to share information.

A spokesman for the Prison Service said: "Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Ricardo Cotteral.

"The prison has implemented all of the ombudsman's recommendations, making its decision-making process for temporary leave more thorough."

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