A troubled 22-year-old man fell to his death from a block of flats just two days after being ‘unexpectedly’ released from HMP Bristol. Leo Henshaw, a serial offender who had recently been charged with sexually assaulting a man, died of multiple injuries in Exeter on October 7, 2023.
At the time of his death, he was under the influence of methamphetamine, a stimulant mainly used as a recreational drug. An investigation into his death by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has now concluded and the outcome has been published.
Mr Henshaw, who had a history of mental ill-health and substance misuse, was well-known to the courts and the prison service. On April 20, 2022, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital under the Mental Health Act, following a period of anti-social behaviour. He was discharged three months later.
A consultant psychiatrist reported that he did not have an active mental health condition that could be treated. However, due to an assault on a member of staff at the hospital, Mr Henshaw was arrested on the day of discharge and subsequently remanded in custody to HMP Exeter.
On September 2, Mr Henshaw appeared in court and was convicted of assault but was released on post-sentence supervision (PSS) due to time already spent on remand. He was allocated a place at Lawson House probation hostel in Plymouth.
On February 15, 2023, he was convicted of another assault and being in breach of his PSS. He was sent to HMP Exeter to await sentencing. On March 13, was found in his cell with an untied bed sheet around his neck.
He denied it was an suicide attempt. On March 21, Mr Henshaw was transferred to HMP Bristol.
He then appeared in court on March 30, and was sentenced to five months in prison for the assault of an emergency worker. He was returned back to HMP Bristol.
On April 25, he was released from prison on licence and returned to his former address in Exeter. Just three days later, he was arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a man and sent back to HMP Bristol.
He continued to receive support for his mental health due to concerns raised. By October, prison staff reported his behaviour was ‘very bizarre’ but denied needing help. On October 5, Mr Henshaw appeared in court by videolink.
He was released on bail and on post sentence supervision to his flat with Exeter City Council. He was provided with a discharge grant and any money he had in his prison account.
The next day he failed to attend a probation appointment and an unsuccessful visit was made to his home, with other services notified, including his mental health worker. The following day, October 7, he jumped from the window of a sixth-floor flat that was not where he had been living, the report states.
Mr Henshaw had a history of mental ill-health and had been managed under prison service suicide and self-harm prevention procedures (known as ACCT) on three occasions, the most recent being in July 2023.
Mr Henshaw’s release, two days before he died, was unplanned. However, prison staff were said to have proactively contacted his community offender manager (COM) when they learnt of his impending release.
His COM, who was aware of Mr Henshaw’s history of mental ill-health and ACCT management, arranged to speak to Mr Henshaw before he left prison and made support arrangements with him.
The PPO concluded: “There was some good practice around Mr Henshaw’s unexpected release. Prison staff telephoned his community offender manager after court to forewarn her of his impending release.
“She spoke with Mr Henshaw directly on the day of release to make support arrangements and confirmed these with other relevant agencies. When he did not attend his probation appointment first thing on the day following his release, she promptly liaised with partner agencies to try to establish his whereabouts.
“We consider that prison and probation staff identified that Mr Henshaw was vulnerable on release and made efforts to support him.”
The most recent full inspection of HMP Bristol took place in July 2023. HM Inspectorate of Prisons issued an ‘urgent notification’ highlighting several areas for improvement, including a finding that leaders had neglected work to reduce reoffending or plan for release.