Prisoner useless and a number of other overdosed in ‘dodgy spice’ outbreak at infamous jail
HMP Chelmsford inmate Ivor Manton, 43, died in hospital on March 6 after a drug-related incident at the Essex jail, with several other prisoners taken ill after allegedly taking synthetic cannabinoids
Ivor Manton, 43, an inmate at HMP Chelmsford, passed away in hospital (Image: Getty Images)
A prisoner has died and several others have overdosed after “dodgy spice” caused chaos in a notorious prison. Ivor Manton, 43, an inmate at HMP Chelmsford, passed away in hospital on Friday 6 March following a drug-related incident at the jail the previous week. Another individual required emergency care after allegedly consuming synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “spice”.
In response to the outbreak, it is understood that staff have increased searches and implemented a temporary drug amnesty, with a source suggesting that as many as six individuals may have overdosed. The prison made headlines last year due to the erroneous release of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker convicted of sexually assaulting a 14 year old girl and an adult woman.
A Prison Service spokesperson stated: “HMP Chelmsford prisoner Ivor Manton died in hospital on 6 March. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate. A small number of further prisoners were also taken ill over the weekend and have now been treated. Whilst an investigation into the circumstances is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
A source from within the jail described HMP Chelmsford – which was deemed to be “in a state of near collapse” in 2021 due to overcrowding and understaffing – as “out of control”.
The source commented: “It’s disgusting it’s even happened. They have massive security and drugs are still managing to flood the jail.” The prison is most well-known for housing infamous criminals such as Pat Tate of the Essex Boys drug gang. Spice was involved in 62 out of 129 non-natural deaths between 2015 and 2020 in English and Welsh prisons, according to research by Middlesex University.
Between December 2022 and December 2024, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigated 136 drug-related deaths in England and Wales.
And last year, the Chief Inspector of Prisons demanded urgent intervention regarding substance abuse, with over 49 per cent of prisoners arriving with an “identified drug need”.
Prison service bosses claim they adopt a “zero-tolerance” stance towards narcotics, implementing clampdowns on substances and imposing sanctions on inmates found with illegal drugs.
