Murderer found dead in his cell by fellow prisoner after officer 'did not know' he should check on him

Murderer found dead in his cell by fellow prisoner after officer 'did not know' he should check on himPatryk Skupinski, 38, was serving a life sentence for murdering Marlene Doyle when he was found dead in his cell by another prisoner at HMP Gartree in LeicestershireNewsPaige Ingram and Dylan Hayward06:36, 12 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesPatryk Skupinski was jailed for the murder his partner Marlene Doyle in January 2022(Image: WM Police)A convicted murderer serving a life sentence was discovered dead in his cell by a fellow inmate after a prison officer unlocked his door without carrying out a welfare check, a report has revealed.‌The officer subsequently told investigators he was unaware he was required to conduct a welfare check, believing his sole responsibility was to unlock cell doors. Patryk Skupinski, 38, had been serving a life sentence at HMP Gartree, near Market Harborough, having been convicted of the murder of 32 year old Marlene Doyle. He was found lying face down in a pool of vomit by a fellow prisoner on 29 January 2025.‌Ms Doyle was discovered with severe head injuries at their flat in Shakespeare Street, Coventry, after worried relatives raised the alarm when they were unable to contact her. Police confirmed she had been dead for up to five days before she was found reports Leicestershire Live.‌View 2 ImagesGartree prison near Market Harborough(Image: Andrew Carpenter)A jury found Skupinski guilty of her murder, and he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years in October 2023. An independent report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has now outlined the full circumstances surrounding Skupinski's death.It began with a routine roll check at 5.07am, in which an operational support grade officer peered through the observation panel of Skupinski's cell using a torch and was satisfied that nothing was amiss.‌A further roll check was conducted at 7.13am, during which an officer failed to obtain a positive response fr...