Serco fined £2.25m after custody officer killed by prisoner

Security contractor Serco has been fined £2.25m for wellness and information failings that led to a captive kicking 1 of its custody officers to death.

Lorraine Barwell, 54, was killed successful the summertime of 2015 by Humphrey Burke, present 28, a captive she was escorting.

The time she was attacked, Burke was owed to beryllium sentenced astatine Blackfriars Crown Court for arson and attempted robbery.

At the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker besides ordered Serco to wage the Health and Safety Executive's costs of £433,596.

Sentencing the firm, helium said: "I americium satisfied that had it not been for Serco's breach of work towards its employees, Lorraine Barwell would not person died successful the circumstances successful which she did."

Serco is contracted by the Ministry of Justice to supply information services successful courts. Ms Barwell, who had worked for the information steadfast for much than 10 years, is believed to beryllium the archetypal situation custody serviceman to beryllium killed connected duty, the Ministry of Justice said.

Serco pleaded blameworthy past April to failing to discharge wide health, information and payment duties from January 2014 to March 2017.

Following the sentencing hearing, Anthony Kirby from Serco said: "We continuously strive to question to guarantee specified an incidental tin ne'er hap again."

In a unfortunate interaction statement, Ms Barwell's girl Louise Grennan said her parent was "wonderful, loving" and "supportive".

"We spoke astir plans to determination overseas to unrecorded successful the prima erstwhile mum had retired from work. That has each gone now," she said.

The prosecution alleged that 2 attacks connected custody officers wrong the January 2014 to March 2017 play - 1 connected Ms Barwell and different connected Bernadette Cawley - demonstrated what could hap if the close wellness and information steps were not taken.

Ms Cawley, who survived the onslaught connected her, was throttled and rammed up against a partition successful the dock successful an annex tribunal astatine Woolwich Crown Court successful June 2016, but nary different custody unit were adjacent to assistance erstwhile she pressed the alarm.

Serco admitted 2 constricted breaches successful narration to the attacks connected its unit astatine Blackfriars and Woolwich, but denied its actions straight led to the the 2 women being harmed.

The prosecution alleged determination were wider failings successful areas including hazard assessment, staffing levels, grooming and monitoring.

In his sentencing, the elder justice recovered Serco's level of culpability for the offence was "high".

Among the failings, helium said determination was "insufficient" availability of tribunal custody officers, an contented that had been raised with absorption "on galore occasions".

Mr Justice Baker added determination had been an "obvious and avoidable" hazard posed to Ms Barwell by Burke.

Helen Donnelly from the Health and Safety Executive said: "Serco drastically failed successful their duties to support some Lorraine Barwell and different unit implicit a sustained period.

"Had Serco carried retired their ineligible duties, these incidents could person been prevented.

"We volition not hesitate to enactment against those who neglect to support their workers."

Mr Kirby, from Serco, added: "The information and wellbeing of colleagues is our highest precedence and, arsenic recognised by the court, we person improved our information processes."