Inquest into the Death of Jason Anthony THOMPSON
Inquest into the Death of Jason Anthony THOMPSON
Delivered on : 10 July 2024
Delivered at : Perth
Finding of : Coroner Jenkin
Recommendations : No
Orders/Rules : No
Suppression Order : N/A
Summary : Jason Anthony Thompson (Mr Thompson) died on 5 May 2023 at Casuarina Prison (Casuarina) from metatstatic lung cancer. He was 54-years of age.
On 20 March 1998 in the District Court of Western Australia, Mr Thompson was sentenced to a term of 10 years’ imprisonment for burglary, with a concurrent 5-year term for attempted child stealing. Mr Thompson was also the subject of a deportation order to Papua New Guinea, and he was made the subject of a high risk and serious offender interim detention order on 12 November 2021 in the Supreme Court of Western Australia. At the time of his death, Mr Thompson was a sentenced prisoner at Casuarina.
Mr Thompson was found on the floor of his cell at about 7.05 am on 17 February 2023. It was suspected he was experiencing an opioid drug overdose, and he was taken to hospital by ambulance. Scans identified lesions in Mr Thompson’s brain and lungs, and on 28 February 2023, he underwent a craniotomy, during which his brain lesion was successfully removed.
Mr Thompson was treated palliatively at Casuarina, and on 4 May 2023, his condition deteriorated significantly, and his next-of-kin were advised that death was imminent. In the early afternoon on 5 May 2023, it was discovered that Mr Thompson had stopped breathing, and he was declared deceased by a prison medical officer at 1.30 pm.
After carefully considering the available evidence, the coroner concluded that the supervision, treatment and care that Mr Thompson received whilst he was incarcerated was of an acceptable standard. The coroner noted that Mr Thompson was clearly a difficult prisoner to manage, and the available evidence demonstrated that he was treated with compassion and respect.
Catch Words : Death in custody : Palliative care : Metastatic lung cancer
Last updated: 11-Oct-2024
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