IPP was a 'life sentence' Sister of man who killed himself attacks jail term

On the last day of his life, Francis Williams feared he was about to be sent to prison. Williams, 43, had committed no recent crime but when he was kicked out of a hostel in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, after a drinking relapse, he guessed what was coming next.

- Emily Dugan

An arcane sentence for a street robbery 18 years earlier meant homelessness and addiction would be enough to send him back inside. He had been given an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence and could be recalled to prison if he was deemed a risk, even after serving his time.

An inquest at Chichester coroner's court on Tuesday found that his IPP sentence had caused or contributed to his death.

When Williams lost his hostel place on 27 January 2023, his worst fears were confirmed: his probation officer said he was facing an emergency recall to prison. He told her in detail how he would end his life if that happened and that police would find a body.

She alerted Sussex police to his suicide risk but they did not appear to prioritise a search. He was found dead in a tent in a park in Bognor Regis the following day.

Despite IPP sentences being abolished in 2012 after growing outcry over their impact, Williams was one of thousands of people still subject to them because the changes were not backdated.