Man dies days after being released from jail homeless
Mark Johnston - known locally as 'the Hoover Thief' - should have received more support before his release from jail, the prisons ombudsman has found
Mark Johnston
(Image: South Wales Police )
A man died of a drug overdose five days after being released from a Welsh prison with nowhere to live. According to an ombudsman report, "workload pressures" experienced by prison staff led to Mark Johnston leaving HMP Swansea with no accommodation lined up.
Mr Johnston, 49, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison in December 2023 after being convicted of theft. The jail was aware he had attempted suicide in the past and had struggled with addiction to alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine. Shortly before his release in April 2024, he tested negative for drugs.
Prisons ombudsman Adrian Usher said: "The prison's resettlement team saw Mr Johnston and completed housing referrals for him just five days before his release. As a result, there was limited time for Mr Johnston to secure accommodation and he was released homeless." For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here.
A prison resettlement officer said "workload pressures" had delayed the resettlement team seeing Mr Johnston.
In its scathing report the ombudsman also noted there was confusion over who was responsible for making a housing referral.
Mr Usher added that when the prisoner was released he "was not given a naloxone kit as had been agreed". Naloxone is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.
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"There is no record to explain why Mr Johnston was not given naloxone when he was released," said the ombudsman.
On April 5 Mr Johnston and a friend visited an acquaintance's home where they drank alcohol and took drugs. Two days later he was found dead on the sofa.
A post-mortem found Mr Johnston died of toxicity from drugs including bromazolam, a benzodiazapine. An inquest concluded the death was drug-related.
The latest figures show a third of prisoners leaving HMP Swansea were released homeless or to transient accommodation, said Mr Usher.
He added: "The governor of HMP Swansea should ensure that a process is created to identify newly arrived prisoners who are at risk of homelessness and that the resettlement team sees them at the earliest opportunity to maximise their chance of finding post-release accommodation."
The ombudsman also said all probation workers should be aware of the 'duty to refer' policy framework and their responsibility to complete housing referrals.
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Mr Johnston, from Brynmelin, was a serial shoplifter known locally as "the Hoover Thief" because of his history of stealing vacuum cleaners in Swansea.
In 2021 we reported on a crime spree, including eight shop thefts and an assault on a police officer, which saw Mr Johnston jailed for 14 months.
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