Action urged after Rugby murder accused starved to death

Officials need to take more action when prisoners refuse food and drink, a coroner has concluded, after a 78-year-old man who was charged with murder starved himself and died. Surendra Patel, of Aqua Place, Rugby, Warwickshire, died at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, on 31 October 2024, while he was on remand at HMP Hewell after suffering an acute kidney injury. A prevention of future deaths report detailed how he stopped eating between 21 and 26 October and lost a fifth of his body weight, following his arrest. The assistant coroner for Worcestershire, James Puzey, wrote in his report that prison and healthcare staff at Hewell lacked awareness of a food refusal policy. He recorded Patel's death as being from natural causes, contributed to by self-neglect through malnutrition. The 78-year-old was arrested after a woman, also in her 70s, was found dead at a home in Aqua Place on 8 October 2024. Following the 78-year-old's death, a prevention of future deaths report was commissioned after the inquest concluded on 10 March. The document is issued by a coroner in England and Wales when an investigation reveals that action should be taken to prevent further, avoidable deaths. Practice