A TRAVELLER found hanged in his cell the day after being sent to prison to await sentencing died because of "individual and system neglect".

Ground engineer Patrick Gavin, aged 31, was a traveller living at Waldron Farm, Crockenhill Road, Orpington.

He was arrested for aggravated burglary, robbery, kidnap, possessing an offensive weapon and two burglaries, in Palace Road, Penge, on January 27 last year.

He pleaded guilty to four charges at Croydon Crown Court and was remanded in Brixton Prison on March 22 last year.

Belfast-born Mr Gavin, also known as Patrick Maloney, was expecting a sentence of between seven and 13 years but was found hanging in his Brixton cell on March 23, 2002.

He had also attempted to hang himself while in Highdown Prison in Surrey two months before.

Nurse Kumar Reddy told the inquest at Southwark Coroners Court how Mr Maloney was found lying on his bed with a broken noose around his neck.

"He said. I didn't make it I didn't make a good job of it," the nurse added.

On January 30 he cut his wrists and on February 3 he tried self harm with a broken spoon.

Prison officer Christopher Shirley told the inquest he had seen Mr Maloney on the morning of March 23 and had spoken to him a couple of times, having unlocked his cell at 8am.

"There were problems with him on the wing but I didn't know he'd been subject to a self harm form," he said

Later in the day after the inmates had returned to their locked cells, Mr Shirley went back the cell.

"As I unlocked his door, I saw him hanging from a ligature at the bars at the back of the cell," he said.

The head of healthcare at Brixton Mr Andrew Weir told the court prison officers need not know inmates had been subject to a self harm form.

He said: "It fudges the issue it becomes more complicated."

On April 9 the inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death, contributed to by neglect of both individuals and of the system of communicating between prison departments and transferrals.