Tom Collister
| Tom Collister | |
|---|---|
| File:Tom Collister.jpgTom Collister.jpg | |
| Born | Tom Collister Greater London[1] |
| 💀Died | 07 Feb 2009 HMP Camp Hill, Newport07 Feb 2009 |
| 🏳️ Nationality | British |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 📆 Years active | 1986–2009 |
| Twitter= | |
Tom Collister was a 23-year-old graffiti artist from Penge who was arrested in October 2008 for criminal damage and graffiti.[1] He took his own life in Camp Hill Prison after being transferred there.[2]
His work and its aims[edit]
Collister belonged to a gang of graffiti artists who were carrying out acts of vandalism across South London, mainly on trains and at stations.[2] He was said to be linked to the tags SKEAMS, SKEAMZ, SKEAM and FDC.[3]
His arrest[edit]
In October 2008 Collister was given a 30-month sentence for his crimes after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage.[2] He was sentenced along with the other three members of his gang,who were given 18 months, 15 months and 12 months.[4] All four members were initially taken to HMP Wandsworth, however, in January 2009 Collister was transferred to Camp Hill Prison, making it harder for his family to visit him, while his co-defendants remained in Wandsworth.[1] In February 2009 Collister's sentencing appeal was heard in London and the sentence was reduced by 10 months, meaning he was now only to serve 20 months. He was said to be distressed when he was told he would be returning to Camp Hill Prison to complete the remainder of his sentence. He was found dead four days later.[5]
Inquest[edit]
A statement from the inquest jury at the Coroner's Court in the Isle of Wight found there were several failures in the prison's care system provided to Collister.[5] The jury found many issues in the prison's supervision on the night of Collister's death. There was a lack of supervision resulting in lack of prisoner safety on the wing, the officer who found Collister did not have adequate training to deal with such an emergency situation, with no sense of how to react to suspected suicide or self-harm. They also lacked sufficient resuscitation and first-aid training.[5] Collister's family believed that he had not intended to take his own life, it was a suspected cry for help that had gone wrong.[1]
His legacy[edit]
Collister's funeral was held at Beckenham crematorium where hundreds of people attended.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Tom Collister". August 23, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "PENGE: Tributes paid to hanged prisoner". News Shopper.
- ↑ https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/four-jailed-after-persistent-dedicated-graf-a104636/
- ↑ "Rail damage graffiti group jailed". October 10, 2008 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://www.bindmans.com/uploads/files/documents/INQUEST_press_release_tom_collister_inquest_verdict.pdf
- ↑ "PENGE: Father of graffiti artist found hanged in cell blasts prison system". News Shopper.
External Links[edit]
BBC News Guardian Article Public Inquest
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