A MAN arrested for burglary hanged himself in a Crewe police cell because he was frightened of going to prison.

William Maddock, aged 26, of Sutton Lane, tied a cord from the hood of his sweatshirt around the open hatch of his prison cell door, an inquest jury was told.

Just before his death on July 10 last year, Mr Maddock had told his fiancee Gladys Dickenson how he did not believe he would ever get out of prison.

The jury heard how DC Brian Wardley, who interviewed Mr Maddock, had left his cell door hatch open because of the heat.

Sergeant Gordon Venables then discovered Mr Maddock but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

When Mr Maddock was taken to the station, officers did not see the cord on the sweatshirt because it was tied around his waist.

"If I'd seen the cord I would have removed it or taken the shirt from him," said Sergeant Venables.

The unemployed labourer, who had previously served five months in prison, had been arrested in connection with a burglary.

Fiancee Gladys Dickenson told the inquest: "He told me he couldn't handle going back to prison. I think he'd convinced himself I wouldn't visit him."

But police officers said Mr Maddock showed no outward signs that anything was wrong - despite a claim that he was withdrawing from the drug heroin.

"At no time when he was in custody did he give reason to think he was depressed or would harm himself," said Sergeant Venables.

The jury returned a verdict of suicide.

A forensic expert concluded that drugs did not play a part in his death.

"Withdrawal from heroin could have caused him to be anxious and even suicidal - and it would be the same with amphetamines. But if this was the case there would have been strong symptoms when he was seen by his girlfriend and the custody sergeant" she said.

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