Report of the Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard ...

it said Mr Lodge had a history of fitting. Mr Stanley told the inquiry that he could not
remember the detail of his actions at the time.
Use of force records
10.36 No use of force forms were completed after the incident. In a memorandum of 3
September 1998 for the Prison Service Investigation, PO Hall, the prison’s Control and
Restraint Coordinator, confirmed that he had not received any control and restraint forms
in relation to the removal of Sonny Lodge from his cell on 27 August and that these were
usually received within two days of an incident.
10.37 In evidence to a disciplinary investigation, SO Nuttall said that he was told that
segregation staff had said that control and restraint forms were not necessary as Mr
Lodge had walked to the segregation unit.
10.38 In his statement for the police, Officer Bowcock said it was normal to do
paperwork for locks or restraints but the form was usually produced to him by someone
more senior. Also someone had said that Mr Lodge was not restrained so no form was
needed. Officer Bowcock thought the paperwork he was required to do was the report for
the adjudication.
Sonny Lodge’s letter that night
10.39 Writing at around midnight on Thursday 27 August, Mr Lodge says he is starting
another sentence for something “I haven’t even done” and he is in two minds whether to
“just give up”. He says he does not know when he will be coming home, or if his head
can take it. It has all gone a bit too far and “basically they just want to hang me, so let
them. I will even hand them the noose”. He says, “They know how to rip you up real bad
inside, they keep ripping something out of me every day now.” He says that can only be
replaced by his girlfriend and “I am afraid by the time comes, they will have cut off my life
force and I will be gone forever.” He says that only his girlfriend has kept him going and
not being able to see her on Friday, when he had expected to be released, is too painful
to bear: “They are slowly taking me away from you.”
Other relevant evidence
10.40 It is the duty of the inquiry to consider all the evidence relating the events of 27
August 1998 described in this report in order to try to form a judgment about the truth of
what happened and why. Was Sonny Lodge singled out for a search as additional
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