A prisoner already on remand for murder has been charged with killing a fellow inmate at HMP Exeter following an incident in the early hours of Monday morning.
James Desborough, 39, is accused of murdering Steven Kempster, 65, who was found dead in his cell at the Category B prison at approximately 5.40am on 15 September. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed Mr Kempster’s next of kin have been informed of his death.
The Crown Prosecution Service announced yesterday that prosecutors had authorised charges against Desborough following a joint investigation with Devon and Cornwall Police at the Victorian-era jail, which has struggled with overcrowding and deteriorating conditions in recent years.
Helen Phillips, senior crown prosecutor for the CPS South West, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute James Desborough for the murder of Steven Kempster. Our prosecutors have established that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”
She added: “We have worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Police as they carried out their investigation.”
Desborough is scheduled to appear before Exeter Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, Thursday 18 September, where he is expected to be remanded in custody before the case is sent to crown court for trial.
The alleged killer was already on remand at the prison facing a separate murder charge relating to the death of Daniel Coleman, 43, from St Austell, Cornwall. Coleman’s remains were discovered in Paramoor Woods near Sticker, Cornwall, in July following what police described as an “extremely complex and unique” investigation.
Desborough was charged with Coleman’s murder between 2 June and 7 July this year after human remains were found during Operation Honeywell, a major police investigation that involved specialist forensic teams from the National Crime Agency and Home Office-approved scientists. He appeared at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court on 10 July and was remanded in custody to appear before Truro Crown Court.
A woman in her 30s from Newquay, who was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the Coleman case, remains on police bail whilst enquiries continue.
HMP Exeter, located on New North Road in the city centre, is a Category B local and resettlement prison with an operational capacity of approximately 412 inmates, though it has regularly featured on the Howard League for Penal Reform’s list of most overcrowded prisons in the UK. The facility holds male prisoners sentenced by courts across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.
The 172-year-old prison, built in 1853 and based on the design of London’s Pentonville Prison, has faced severe criticism in recent years. In May 2018, Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke issued an “urgent notification” to the Justice Secretary – only the second time the protocol had been used – citing “unequivocally poor” conditions, soaring violence and self-harm rates.
During an unannounced inspection, Clarke reported a strong smell of drugs on some wings, with inmates “clearly under the influence.” Many cells were found to be in poor condition, with broken windows, leaking toilets and sinks, and inadequately screened lavatories.
The prison’s Independent Monitoring Board has repeatedly warned that staffing levels set by the Ministry of Justice are too low to ensure optimum care of prisoners, particularly vulnerable inmates. In 2014, it was revealed that staff numbers had dropped by 32% whilst prisoner numbers remained consistently high, with the facility often running at 70% over its certified normal accommodation capacity.
The Victorian building comprises four residential wings positioned around a central hub. A Wing and C Wing house general population inmates, with C1 landing designated for first-night prisoners. B Wing accommodates inmates participating in the integrated drug treatment system programme, whilst D Wing, a three-storey building, houses vulnerable prisoners. F Wing provides social care facilities, and the Jubilee Suite offers palliative care for terminally ill inmates.
A former builder, bearded Desborough now faces the prospect of defending two separate murder charges. The cases will proceed independently through the court system, with the Coleman murder trial expected to be heard at Truro Crown Court whilst the Kempster case will likely be tried in Exeter.
The CPS reminded all concerned that proceedings against Desborough are active and that he has the right to a fair trial, warning against any reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could prejudice the proceedings.
Devon and Cornwall Police declined to provide further details about the circumstances of Kempster’s death, citing the ongoing criminal investigation and court proceedings.
HMP Exeter has a troubled history with prisoner deaths and violence. The prison gained notoriety in 1885 when three attempts to execute John Babbacombe Lee by hanging failed after the trapdoor mechanism malfunctioned on each occasion, leading to his sentence being commuted to life imprisonment.
More recently, the facility has struggled with what inspectors described as “weaknesses and gaps” in its operation, with concerns raised about the lengthy waits – sometimes months – for prisoners with psychiatric issues to be transferred to secure mental health units.
The latest incident adds to mounting concerns about safety and conditions within Britain’s prison estate, particularly in overcrowded Category B establishments holding remand prisoners and those serving shorter sentences.
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