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Inmate found hanging in Featherstone Prison cell had given 'no sign of bullying'

A prisoner found hanging in his cell at HMP Featherstone told a nurse he had been in a fight with a cellmate at another jail less than a month earlier, an inquest heard.

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David Wilson suffered several injuries in the fight at Winson Green Prison, Birmingham, including two small swellings to the back of his head.

He told nurse Jane Chilton that he had also injured his arm in the altercation, claiming it had been 'pushed down the toilet'.

Ms Chilton was questioned about her interactions with Mr Wilson following the incident at an inquest into his death held in Stafford.

She told a jury the prisoner gave 'no indication' he was being bullied or intimidated and that she believed his injuries to be consistent with fighting.

She added bruises on his neck were also what she would have expected to have seen following a 'punch-up'.

Solicitor Mr Richard Grimshaw, representing Mr Wilson's family in the proceedings, asked Ms Chilton if she had seen a ring of black bruising around the prisoner's neck during her examination.

She replied: "There was no black ring around his neck. He had bruising as if from punching."

Ms Chilton was also asked if at any point Mr Wilson said he had tried to hurt himself using a ligature by Mr Ian McCubbin, acting on behalf of G4S, which runs Winson Green. She said he had not.

Earlier the jury heard Mr Wilson, a welder, from Stafford, had been given a sentence of eight years behind bars in 2011.

He was subsequently released on licence in February 2015 but had the licence revoked following an arrest in November that same year.

He was moved to Winson Green in December 2015 and he was seen by Ms Chilton following the alleged fight on February 5.

He was then transferred to HMP Featherstone 13 days later where he was found hanging in his cell on March 2 last year.

He was taken to Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital where he died the next day, aged 32.

Giving evidence, coroner's officer Andrew Heathcote told the jury that a post-mortem examination found Mr Wilson died of cerebral anoxia due to hanging.

He was also found to have two areas of partial skin burns to each of his buttocks consistent with them having been in contact with a radiator or hot water pipes.

The inquest continues.

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