Staff did not act on info suggesting Ricardo Cotteral was dealing drugs in prison before his murder during release.
Staff suspected Cotteral dealt drugs in prison and thought he had a phone. Reports about this went unaddressed. Nobody recorded the concerns in his file.
Cotteral was at HMP Sudbury and released on license. He had been released into the community before. Four men stabbed him to death on April 24, 2022. The court called it a revenge attack.
Cotteral was 33. His killers got life sentences, 25 to 30 years minimum. He was in jail for drug dealing since 2020. Cotteral moved from HMP Nottingham to HMP Ranby.
Then, he went to HMP Sudbury in August. He then began getting temporary releases for work. This was despite drug suspicions.
The investigation says release measures should be stronger and they did not consider his suspected drug activity. Prisoners can work or see family with ROTL. Staff disagreed if Cotteral should be released.
The Offender Management Unit head approved his release for work. He regularly stayed at his grandma’s. Staff should have discussed release risks. No one thought his life was at risk outside.
He left prison almost daily in April. The investigation says Sudbury’s ROTL process is not robust. Reviews are needed when release risks increase. Staff must share information about release risks.
Healthcare staff should help with risk assessments. These staff supported his autism and mental health. An inquest ruled his death unlawful killing.
An inspection found drug issues at HMP Sudbury. Many prisoners had drug supply offenses. Some were linked to organized crime. They had a police officer, but drugs remained a problem. Cotteral was the fifth prisoner to die at HM Sudbury since 2019.
Two deaths were natural. Two were drug-related. The report found no link to those deaths.