Missed opportunities' to prevent woman's death in prison cell fire, inquest finds

"Directed to reach a narrative conclusion by the coroner Maria Voisin, after a four-week inquest at Avon coroner's court, the jury found a lack of automatic in-cell fire detection caused a delay in detecting the fire. Jurors also found that an incorrect diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder had contributed to her incarceration in the first place."

"Clare was just such a happy, kind, outgoing person, she'd do anything for anyone. But when she was 14, Dupree had surgery to remove a cancerous cyst near her brain, which deeply affected her. And when she was 15 years old, she was raped. She lost her confidence and stopped leaving the house."

"People talk about her being on drugs and her mental health, but for me, all that I ever saw was this caring, sensitive, generous, funny, friendly, warm, welcoming, amazing person."

Clare Dupree, 48, died at HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire after starting a fire in her cell using a vape in December 2022. An inquest found that the lack of automatic in-cell fire detection delayed discovery of the fire. The jury also determined that an incorrect diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder contributed to her imprisonment. Dupree's mental health struggles began after brain surgery at age 14 and sexual assault at 15, leading to drug use and eventual sectioning in her mid-20s. Despite her mental illness and addiction, family members described her as caring, kind, and generous, highlighting the complexity of her circumstances.

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