KEY POINTS:
A woman whose partner committed suicide in jail is suing the Government for $600,000.
Alan Hing, 36, killed himself within hours of arriving at Manawatu Prison in July 2003.
He had been taken into custody after his partner Susan Goodyer told police he had assaulted her.
Hing had
told police he would "end it all" if he was taken to prison.
The Dominion Post reported police were concerned he was a suicide risk but he was not put in psychiatric care.
He was instead placed in a cell monitored by a camera.
His mother Eliza Hing told the newspaper she did not understand how he managed to kill himself.
"He was supposed to be under 24/7 watch - they didn't do their job."
The lawsuit which claims breaches of the Bill of Rights Act and international civil rights law is expected to be filed by civil rights lawyer Tony Ellis within the week.
Ms Goodyer is suing the attorney-general on behalf of the Corrections Department, police, Health Ministry, Levin District Court, Palmerston North coroner, MidCentral District Health Board and the Manawatu Prison medical officer.
The suit alleges they failed to provide proper medical care, failed to protect the rights of detainees with suicidal tendencies and failed to carry out a thorough independent investigation into the death.
Hing, a member of Otaki's Nomad gang, was taken into custody and placed in a police cell the night before his death.
He told officers he was going to commit suicide and bashed his head against the walls of the police van as he was transported.
In the Otaki police cell he attempted to hang himself and bashed his head against the cell walls.
At Levin District Court the next morning he put his head through a glass screen after hearing he would be remanded in custody.
Police subdued him with pepper-spray and an ambulance was called but Hing refused treatment.
He was later taken to Manawatu Prison where staff were warned he was a high suicide risk.
Within four hours he was dead.
Ms Goodyer is claiming damages of $100,000 for one of her children who witnessed Hing's attempt to hang himself while in the police cell, $250,000 for herself and $50,000 for each of her five other children.
Mr Ellis said the case highlighted the gaps in health services to prisoners.
"This man should not have been sent to prison - he should have been sent to a psychiatric hospital."
- NZPA
