Before Coroner Bernard Richmond KC
Inner West London Coroner’s Court
Opened 28 October 2024
Resumed 1 September 2025
Scheduled to last 2 weeks
Sebastião Lucas, a 34 year old Black man, died by ligature 48 hours after being remanded to Wandsworth prison on 12 May 2021. He had been arrested in hospital whilst being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Now an inquest will look at the circumstances of his death.
Since Sebastião’s death, 24 people have died in HMP Wandsworth, 14 of these were self-inflicted deaths.
Sebastião was from Angola. Sebastião and his family came to the UK when he was four years old. The family settled in London and Sebastião developed a passion for football. He was an avid Arsenal fan throughout his life.
On 6 May 2021, Sebastião was taken to St Thomas’s Hospital, London, after telling police he was having suicidal thoughts. The next day, Sebastião allegedly assaulted a nurse after she told him he would be detained under the Mental Health Act.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to police custody. He was placed under constant observation and frequently told officers that he intended to self-harm and take his own life.
On 10 May, Sebastião was taken to court and remanded to HMP Wandsworth. He arrived with a Person Escort Record (PER) detailing his suicidal ideation.
Upon arrival at the prison, Sebastião told a prison nurse that he was planning to take his own life. The nurse put in place a safety plan for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm (known as an ACCT) and referred Sebastiao to the mental health team. He was placed on hourly observations.
On 12 May at 2.26pm, a prison officer found Sebastião ligatured in his cell. Staff commenced CPR and an ambulance was called. Sebastião was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after their arrival.
The inquest into his death will now seek to examine events from April 2021 until Sebastião’s death, including previous admissions to hospital during this time.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, please contact Leila Hagmann on [email protected].
The family are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Tara Mulcair of Birnberg Peirce and Paul Clark of Garden Court Chambers. They are supported by INQUEST Caseworker Jordan Ferdinand-Sargeant.
Other Interested Persons represented at the inquest are HMP Wandsworth, SLAM and Oxleas Foundation NHS Trust.
Relevant background information
On 9 May 2024, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) issued an urgent notification for HMP Wandsworth following an unannounced inspection and concerns including the high rates of self-harm and number of self-inflicted deaths.
In 2022, INQUEST published a report on the deaths of racialised people in prison and the role of racism in the preventable and premature deaths of 22 racialised people in prison.
Journalists should refer to the Samaritans Media Guidelines for reporting suicide and self-harm and guidance for reporting on inquests.
Sebastião Lucas
CONTENT WARNING: Please read with care as this page may involve information on death, suicide, mental illness, disability, state neglect, and police and prison violence that some people may find upsetting. If you need support, please visit our support page.
Before Coroner Bernard Richmond KC
Inner West London Coroner’s Court
Opened 28 October 2024
Resumed 1 September 2025
Scheduled to last 2 weeks
Sebastião Lucas, a 34 year old Black man, died by ligature 48 hours after being remanded to Wandsworth prison on 12 May 2021. He had been arrested in hospital whilst being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Now an inquest will look at the circumstances of his death.
Since Sebastião’s death, 24 people have died in HMP Wandsworth, 14 of these were self-inflicted deaths.
Sebastião was from Angola. Sebastião and his family came to the UK when he was four years old. The family settled in London and Sebastião developed a passion for football. He was an avid Arsenal fan throughout his life.
On 6 May 2021, Sebastião was taken to St Thomas’s Hospital, London, after telling police he was having suicidal thoughts. The next day, Sebastião allegedly assaulted a nurse after she told him he would be detained under the Mental Health Act.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to police custody. He was placed under constant observation and frequently told officers that he intended to self-harm and take his own life.
On 10 May, Sebastião was taken to court and remanded to HMP Wandsworth. He arrived with a Person Escort Record (PER) detailing his suicidal ideation.
Upon arrival at the prison, Sebastião told a prison nurse that he was planning to take his own life. The nurse put in place a safety plan for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm (known as an ACCT) and referred Sebastiao to the mental health team. He was placed on hourly observations.
On 12 May at 2.26pm, a prison officer found Sebastião ligatured in his cell. Staff commenced CPR and an ambulance was called. Sebastião was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after their arrival.
The inquest into his death will now seek to examine events from April 2021 until Sebastião’s death, including previous admissions to hospital during this time.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, please contact Leila Hagmann on [email protected].
The family are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Tara Mulcair of Birnberg Peirce and Paul Clark of Garden Court Chambers. They are supported by INQUEST Caseworker Jordan Ferdinand-Sargeant.
Other Interested Persons represented at the inquest are HMP Wandsworth, SLAM and Oxleas Foundation NHS Trust.
Relevant background information
On 9 May 2024, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) issued an urgent notification for HMP Wandsworth following an unannounced inspection and concerns including the high rates of self-harm and number of self-inflicted deaths.
In 2022, INQUEST published a report on the deaths of racialised people in prison and the role of racism in the preventable and premature deaths of 22 racialised people in prison.
Journalists should refer to the Samaritans Media Guidelines for reporting suicide and self-harm and guidance for reporting on inquests.
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