A police investigation has been opened at Montagne Blanche police station into the suspected death by overdose of a 34-year-old inmate at Melrose high security prison. The resident of Cité La Cure was playing football in the prison’s Association Yard on the morning of Friday 21 July when he collapsed. After receiving treatment in the prison infirmary, he was rushed to the Dr Bruno Cheong hospital in Flacq, where his health had deteriorated. Unfortunately, the doctor on duty had to pronounce him dead. An autopsy carried out on his body in the afternoon of Friday 21 July attributed his death to cerebral and pulmonary oedema, probably caused by an overdose. Samples were taken for analysis at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Réduit.
The tragedy occurred at Melrose prison at around 10.15am on Friday 21 July. In a complaint made to the Montagne Blanche police station, a prison guard assigned to the Allamanda unit explained that on that day he had started work at 6.30am and finished at 1.30pm. While the prisoner was playing football in the Association Yard, he fell ill. The guard said he immediately informed a Senior Prison Officer of the situation.
The prisoner was taken to the Prison Medical Unit for treatment, but as his health deteriorated, an ambulance from the Emergency Medical Service was called to the prison to evacuate him to Flacq Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Her body was then transferred to the morgue of the Victoria Hospital, Candos, for an autopsy at around 5.15pm on the same day. The autopsy, conducted by Dr Sheila Jankee-Parsad, Principal Police Medical Officer, attributed his death to cerebral and pulmonary oedema. This was probably caused by an overdose. Samples were taken for analysis at the FSL.
The man’s funeral took place on Saturday 22 July at 3.30pm.
