23 Jul Inquest into death of Rajwinder Singh to begin on 23 July 2025
An inquest into the death of Rajwinder Singh, a 36-year-old father of three who died in custody at HMP Wandsworth, will open on Wednesday 23rd July 2025 at Inner West London Coroner’s Court.
The hearing, before HM Assistant Coroner Bernard Richmond KC, is expected to last till 1st August 2025.
CONTENT WARNING: This press release contains themes of self-harm and suicide
Rajwinder died in hospital on 25 June 2023, five days after being found unresponsive in his cell, having used a bedsheet as a ligature. Rajwinder had been in custody for just 12 days. Despite arriving with documented concerns for his wellbeing, Rajwinder was not placed under suicide monitoring until a few days into his sentence. He self-harmed multiple times in the days before his death, including cutting himself, being found with a ligature on 17th June, and then setting fire to his hair and cell on 19th June and 20th June. Despite these escalating cries for help, Raj’s monitoring was inconsistent.
On the night of 20th June, Rajwinder pressed his emergency cell bell four times. Only one was answered within the required five-minute window. The final call went unanswered for 30 minutes. When staff eventually came to Rajwinder’s cell he was unresponsive. He was taken to hospital but tragically died 5 days later.
Known as Raj to his family and friends, he was a devoted family man. Raj’s wife Remi Masih says “I have lost my best friend. He was my everything. Raj should have been closely monitored, but instead he was failed time and time again while in prison.”
The family’s solicitor Christina Juman, of Deighton Pierce Glynn, says “Wandsworth is the second most dangerous prison in England and Wales for self-inflicted death. Raj was one of of five self-inflicted deaths at HMP Wandsworth in 2023 and the twentieth since 2020. We hope the inquest will identify systemic failings, so other families don’t have to go through what Remi and her children are having to endure”.
HMP Wandsworth
Last year the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons took the rare step of issuing HMP Wandsworth with an Urgent Notification in May 2024, after they found that “failings were evident in almost all aspects of the prison’s operation.” They said that the poor outcomes stemmed from “poor leadership at every level of the prison”. The rate of self-harm within the prison was high and rising, “yet around 40% of emergency cell bells were not answered within five minutes.” The Chief Inspector added that there was a “degree of despondency amongst prisoners” that he had never come across before.
Key Issues to Be Examined at the Inquest:
- Suicide and self-harm risk management (ACCT procedures)
- Mental health and healthcare provision
- Emergency cell bell response times
- Events leading to Rajwinder’s death on 20 June 2023
Raj’s family will not be commenting further until the conclusion of the inquest.
ENDS
If you are affected by the issues in this release, Samaritans are available 24/7. Call 116 123 free, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org.
Notes for the media
Please refer to the Samaritans’ guidelines on reporting inquests:
https://www.samaritans.org/about-samaritans/media-guidelines/guidance-reporting-inquests/
- Raj’s family are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Christina Juman of Deighton Pierce Glynn solicitors, and by Maya Sikand KC of Doughty Street Chambers.
- Other Interested Persons represented include: the Ministry of Justice, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, and individual officers from HMP Wandsworth.
- Request for photographs and further information should be directed to londonadmin [at] dpglaw.co.uk.
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