A PRISONER cried for help and tried to save his cellmate after finding him hanging and unconscious, an inquest heard.

Father-of-two Sean Plumstead was in custody at HMP Winchester and was due to be released less than a month later when he was discovered by his cellmate Jordan Voller.

The 27-year-old was rushed to Royal Hampshire County Hospital but he died three days later on September 18 last year.

Winchester Coroner’s Court heard how Mr Plumstead and Mr Voller had eaten dinner in their cell and then began watching TV when Mr Plumstead went to the toilet, which is located behind a curtain in the cell.

Mr Voller told the inquest that while Mr Plumstead was on the toilet he needed to go as well and added: “He was still there and I was going to use the sink. I was just about to [go to loo] and I could see something hanging, so I pulled back the curtain and I could see [Mr Plumstead] there. I went over to him, grabbed him and tried to lift him up.”

Mr Voller said that while holding Mr Plumstead, he began kicking on the cell wall and shouting to get the attention of other inmates, but not realising what had happened, they told him to shut up.

He then ran over to the cell door and began banging and shouting in a bid to get the attention of prison officers. Mr Voller added: “I don’t know how long it was but it was before the officer came but it seemed like ages.”

Mr Voller described how Mr Plumstead had been quiet on the day that he was found, but said that he didn’t think it was out of the ordinary.

“Sean was like any normal person,” added Mr Voller. “He said he was going to get a job with his dad installing fire hydrants and that would put him on the straight and narrow. What I understood was that he was getting a job and didn’t want to come back to prison.”

The inquest is expected to last until October 19.