A North Tyneside man who attempted to murder his stepbrother was found hanged in his prison cell after suffering from Covid “anxiety”. In 2017, Brendan Teague was jailed for 18 years after stabbing his stepbrother in an attempted killing.

Teague had tricked his way into the North Shields home of unsuspecting Anthony Teague before brutally plunging a knife into him. He stabbed Anthony three times in the back and, believing he had killed him, fled the scene.

As previously reported on Chronicle Live, when police arrested Teague later that day, he expressed surprise and disappointment that his stepbrother wasn’t dead. He then told officers he would “do a better job next time”.

After being sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court, Teague, who had a history of attempted suicide and self-harm, substance misuse and depression with panic attacks, was transferred to HMP Garth in Lancashire. In December 2020, he contracted Covid and was hospitalised.

A recently published prisons and probation ombudsman report found the diagnosis had a “traumatic impact” on him. The report said: “He suffered from anxiety that later affected his day to day living in prison. Mr Teague’s anxiety led to him being appropriately supported under suicide and self-harm procedures (known as ACCT) on two occasions in May and September 2023.

“He received good one-to-one psychology input to help him manage his anxiety, and generally staff were responsive and supportive to his needs. The clinical reviewer concluded that the healthcare Mr Teague received at Garth was of a reasonable standard and equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community.”

The report stated that Teague had spoken to a nurse about his history of anxiety and depression with panic attacks and that he had experienced panic attacks the last time that he left prison. He admitted that he had been struggling and had self isolated.

The report said: “He said he had only self-isolated for one day, as he felt this would not resolve his problems and would only make things worse. Mr Teague was unable to identify any specific trigger to his behaviour but said that the increased noise levels on the wing and being around more people affected him.

“He said he had not attended work recently as the noise in the workshop affected him too. He said he would only attend the medication hatch at the end of a session when there were fewer people there. Mr Teague said that the time he had spent in the ICU at hospital, after contracting COVID-19, had been very traumatic for him. He said he had experienced hallucinations and paranoid thoughts.”

The 46-year-old died on October 7 2023, after being found hanged in his cell at HMP Garth. Teague had medication in his system when he died which had not been prescribed to him. The report stated that the prison is taking proactive steps to reduce drug supply and the diversion of medication.

A post-mortem concluded that Teague died from hanging. Toxicology results found methadone (which he had been prescribed) in his system. The toxicology report also noted that Teague had olanzapine (an antipsychotic), mirtazapine (an antidepressant) and clonazepam (used to treat seizures and panic disorder) in his system. These drugs had not been prescribed to him.

Since Teague’s death, HMP Garth has introduced and completed additional ACCT training for case coordinators along with an improved quality assurance process for the management of ACCTs. The PPO report concluded that Teague hid the extent of his anxiety, and it was reasonable that staff had not identified him as at imminent risk of suicide when he died.