‘God, I hope he suffered’: Leaked WhatsApp messages present HMP Wandsworth jail officers celebrating inmate’s suicide
Prison officers have been seen celebrating an inmate’s death and joking about assaulting other prisoners in a series of vile WhatsApp messages.
A whistleblower from HMP Wandsworth shared the messages with The Times, which show a number of officers celebrating the news of a prisoner’s passing in a group chat of 27 staff members.
The officers sent the messages after being told that the prisoner, who was awaiting sentencing for drug offences, had ‘died in custody. Stopped breathing.’
He was the 14th prisoner to die at HMP Wandsworth, a category B men’s jail, in the previous two years.
Another officer, named Kevin O’Farrell, referred to the deceased – who had been awaiting the results of an autism assessment before his death – as ‘the f***wit’, while his colleague joked: ‘Former f***wit.’
Mr O’Farrell added: ‘Splendid if so. Total p****. Good, I hope he suffered.’
Armin Naroozi, who also worked at the prison, shared a gif of a man dancing, alongside the words: ‘Another one bites the dust.’ O’Farrell replied with laughing emojis.
The prison officers also sent homophobic and misogynistic jokes, as well as quips about assaulting prisoners including former tennis star Boris Becker, who began a custodial sentence at HMP Wandsworth in April 2022.
One officers, called Kevin O’Farrell, referred to the deceased – who had been awaiting the results of an autism assessment before his death – as ‘the f***wit’
Armin Naroozi, who also worked at the prison, shared a gif of a man dancing, alongside the words: ‘Another one bites the dust.’
Following an internal investigation, O’Farrell (left) and Naroozi (right) were dismissed last year for unprofessional conduct after a prison officer reported the contents of the group
After finding out about the messages, the prisoner’s mother, who asked for him not to be named, said she was ‘totally broken’.
Her son had pleaded guilty in court a few weeks earlier to two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and he was awaiting sentencing at the prison.
The prisoner, who was in jail for the first time, had told a member of prison staff about his suspected autism.
He had also told his family in the weeks before his death that he felt he was being ‘singled out’ for harsh treatment by some prison staff.
After his body was found in a cell, a staff member posted a message on the WhatsApp group called ‘New and improved Trinity!’, asking others if they had heard what had happened in the unit.
Trinity is the name of a unit of prisoner wings where many of the staff work.
After being told it was a Death in Custody, O’Farrell got involved to confirm who had died, before going on to say he hoped the prisoner had suffered, that it was a ‘good riddance’ and that the inmate was an ‘utter c***, no loss’.
Naroozi then stated that he might have felt sorry for the prisoner ‘if he wasn’t such a c***’, to which O’Farrell replied: ‘Nah.’
When another colleague checked in with the team, writing that it ‘sounds like it was a really tough day on Trinity today’, O’Farrell replied: ‘Not if that c*** died,’ alongside a laughing emoji.
Because of this run of messages, at least two staff members left the WhatsApp group.
Following an internal investigation, O’Farrell and Naroozi were dismissed last year for unprofessional conduct after a prison officer reported the contents of the group.
Naroozi stated that he might have felt sorry for the prisoner ‘if he wasn’t such a c***’, to which O’Farrell replied: ‘Nah.’
In August, HMP Wandsworth’s Independent Monitoring Board said a security review identified ’81 points of failure’ and resulted in ‘long overdue’ upgrades being made to CCTV cameras which had not been working for more than a year (file picture)
No further action was taken after the prison service reported the conduct of these two prison officers to police.
The inquest into the inmate’s death is due to be heard in the coming months at Inner West London coroner’s office.
Prison officers at Wandsworth also openly joked about assaulting prisoners, including Becker – who had been found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act and given a two-and-a-half year sentence for unlawfully failing to declare assets.
Upon his arrival, one of the prison officers wrote in the group chat that the German ‘looked scared when he came in last night’.
O’Farrell replied: ‘Did you give him a back hander? Would have been ace. Love to have seen that., before adding: ‘He’ll see some new balls tonight that’s for sure.’
Becker, who was released in December 2022, was at HMP Wandsworth for a few weeks before being transferred to HMP Huntercombe, a category C prison in Oxfordshire.
Posts on the group also included staff mocking a gay prison officer’s appearance and joking that a gay prisoner particularly enjoyed jail shower time.
There was also misogynistic messages, including a picture of a woman wearing a see-through top.
The leaked messages come amid widespread concern about the state of Britain’s prisons.
More than 1,200 convicts who have served 40 per cent of their sentences are being freed today under a scheme to tackle prison overcrowding, following on from 1,750 who were released last month.
The category B prison in south-west London has been condemned as ‘dangerously overcrowded and crumbling’ in a damning new report
The prison was described as ‘crumbling, overcrowded and vermin-infested’ by chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor (these photos are taken from a 2022 report he published)
HMP Wandsworth has been at the centre of a police investigation into a married prison officer who was filmed having sex with an inmate in a video which went viral online
More than 1,200 convicts who have served 40 per cent of their sentences are being freed today under a scheme to tackle prison overcrowding, following on from 1,750 who were released last month (Pictured: A man has been seen leaving Wandsworth Prison in a Lamborghini Urus this afternoon)
Concerns have also been raised about the quality of staff hired in recent years – with criminals, drug traffickers and a neo-Nazi are among those who have been reported to have bypassed vetting to get jobs behind bars.
In August, HMP Wandsworth’s Independent Monitoring Board said a security review identified ’81 points of failure’ and resulted in ‘long overdue’ upgrades being made to CCTV cameras which had not been working for more than a year.
The IMB’s annual report for 2023-24 has concluded the category B Victorian jail was ‘not safe’, with almost 1,000 assaults recorded either between prisoners or on staff – while living conditions have been scathingly criticised.
The board found it was ‘alarmingly easy’ for prisoners to get hold of contraband with cell searches finding phones, drugs, makeshift weapons and alcohol – while the smell of cannabis was said to be ubiquitous.
The shortage of experienced staff – with almost half having been in their job for less than a year – ‘undermined attempts to make the prison run effectively’ and staff absence often reached 50 per cent, it said.
The prison has previously been at the centre of a police investigation into a married prison officer who was filmed having sex with an inmate.
Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office at a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on July 29 and was bailed ahead of her sentencing in November
The encounter in a cell on June 27 had been filmed by another prisoner and went viral on social media.
MailOnline later revealed that Brazilian-born De Sousa Abreu has appeared on TV swinging programs and had an OnlyFans account.
She was subsequently identified by HMP Wandsworth staff and was arrested by the Metropolitan Police at Heathrow Airport attempting to fly to Madrid.
