MEDICAL staff at a prison have been criticised after the death of a convicted sex offender awaiting sentence.

The comments arose when an inquest jury delivered a verdict into the death of Virgilio Mallari in Holme House Prison, near Stockton, on December 20, 2007.

Teesside Coroner’s Court heard that crown court staff were so concerned about Mallari’s mental health after his conviction for sexual assaults that an officer filled out a suicide and self-harm warning form.

The 39-year-old Filipino national had been described as shocked and upset after the verdict, according to prison custody officer Jennifer Campbell.

But when he was taken to prison, medical staff and warders failed to take notice of the form.

A week later Mallari, who had been living in Hartlepool, was found hanged in his cell after he left several letters, written in the last few days of his life, saying he had lost all hope.

The jurors spent almost two hours deliberating their verdict before returning to court. The statements made by the jury included that: “Healthcare and prison staff should have taken additional steps to protect Mr Mallari.”

The court heard that the nurse on duty when he returned to the prison carried out a further assessment of Mallari before he was returned to his cell, but had not read the warning notice.

The evidence showed that none of the prison staff on Mallari’s wing had read the warning notice either.

One of the recommendations that the jury made was that prison and medical staff should receive further training and tighten document controls.

The jurors were asked what impact Mallari’s conviction had on him after reading his letters.

Their statement said: “It upset him and he could see no future.”

Earlier, pathologist Mark Egan said that a post-mortem examination into the death revealed no evidence of another person’s involvement and said the injuries were consistent with the ligature discovered around his neck.

Recording a verdict that Mallari killed himself, Coroner Tony Eastwood said he would raise all the concerns of the jury with the prison authorities.