A serial offender took his own life just two days after leaving a County Durham prison.

David Lancaster, who had been in and out of prison for offences including harassment and violence, was remanded in custody at HMP Durham on charges of criminal damage and harassment on November 12, 2022.

He was given a suspended sentenced on November 28 meaning he was released from custody, but two days later was discovered by his uncle at his Hartlepool home and declared dead by paramedics, a report published by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) this week detailed.

42-year-old David Lancaster died by suicide two days after he was released from HMP Durham

A post-mortem examination confirmed the 42-year-old died by a method of suicide and toxicology showed he had taken so much cocaine his lev

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