A desperate wife’s 60-mile dash to HMP Wormwood Scrubs to save her suicidal husband ended in tragedy. A coroner has ruled a broken intercom and dead phone line blocked her pleas for help — and her husband was found hanged.
Failed Communication Blamed for Tragic Suicide
Isaiah Adekunle Olugosi was found dead in his cell between March 27 and 28, 2022. A jury ruled his death a suicide.
His wife had spoken to him at 9pm on March 27 and feared he was about to take his own life. But when she, along with Cambridgeshire Police and the Metropolitan Police, tried to warn prison staff by phone, all calls were futile — diverted to unmanned or outdated numbers.
Wife’s Desperate 60-Mile Drive to Wormwood Scrubs
Unable to get through by phone, Olugosi’s wife drove two hours from Cambridge to the prison’s main gate. She banged on the door, shouted for help, and pressed the buzzer meant to trigger an intercom inside. But the intercom had been broken for years.
Assistant Coroner Richard Furniss stated that because of the broken system, she and police couldn’t alert prison staff all night. Tragically, Olugosi ended his life before anyone could intervene.
Coroner Issues Stark Warning to Wormwood Scrubs
“The buzzer/intercom system must have been provided because it was thought important to provide that additional means of communication between the prison and the outside world,” said Mr Furniss.
“In this case, a working system would have enabled the deceased’s wife to warn the prison of his impending suicide.”
Mr Furniss blasted the prison’s years-long neglect of the communication system as “difficult to understand.” The planned fix? Leave it broken or remove it altogether — a “complete failure.”
Wormwood Scrubs Governor Amy Frost must respond by April 21, 2025, detailing steps to stop this from happening again.
Ministry of Justice Silent as Safety Fears Grow
The Ministry of Justice has not yet commented on the coroner’s findings. Meanwhile, worries soar over prison safety, staff shortages, and the lack of mental health support for inmates.
