Peter Lynch killed himself after being accused of racist comments, says inquest jury

An inquest jury has found a man killed himself in a jail cell as he waited for an adjudication for alleged racist comments.

Peter Lynch was one of more than 100 people sent to prison after rioting outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, in August 2024.

He was jailed for two years and eight months by a judge who heard how he was at the front of a mob that gathered outside the hotel shouting "scum" and "child killers" at police.

The 61-year-old was found dead in his cell at HMP Moorland, near Doncaster, on October 19, 2024.

A two-and-a-half-week-long inquest heard how Mr Lynch had been reported for alleged racist comments two days before his death and was waiting for an adjudication by a prison governor.

On Wednesday, an inquest jury returned a conclusion of suicide on the directions of a coroner.

In its formal conclusion, the jury said: "The information provided verbally to Mr Lynch prior to the adjudication papers being served, regarding the adjudication process, was sufficient.

"Following the adjudication papers being served, and Mr Lynch’s own belief that he was defenceless, could not protect his family, the children or the people, led Mr Lynch to take the action that he did."

Summing up the case, senior Doncaster coroner Nicola Mundy said officers told the court how they had been taking the prisoner to a random drugs test on October 17 when he began to express his view on immigration and asylum seekers and the events outside the hotel.

She said the officers reported that he said that "they’re all rapists and paedophiles and should not be allowed in the country".

The officers said they asked him to stop making the comments because they found them "disrespectful, abusive and racist", but he carried on regardless.

Ms Mundy told jurors it was not a matter for them to determine "whether the words expressed by Mr Lynch were racist" but reminded them that: "Mr Lynch did not agree with the officers’ assessment that the comments made were racist."

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The coroner said the court had seen CCTV of Mr Lynch "going about his business" on October 18 before he went into his cell at 4.29pm, which was later locked.

He made a series of calls, chatting to his family, and was later visited by a member of prison staff who gave him the adjudication papers through a crack in the door just after 7pm, explaining that he was due to see the governor about the matter in the morning.

A prison officer raised the alarm at roll-call the next morning, and Mr Lynch’s body was found in his cell at 6.29am.

He died from hanging, the jury found.

Mr Lynch was arrested on August 4, 2024, outside the hotel, where he was photographed holding a placard asserting the corruption of MPs, judges, the media and the police.

He was filmed repeatedly challenging riot police as they tried to push him back with shields, screaming "protect my children" and yelling: "We are on the streets now to protect our kids."

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told him at the sentencing hearing: "You did not yourself attack any police officer, as far as can be detected, but what you did was encourage by your conduct others to behave violently and you were part of this mob."

The violence at the Holiday Inn left 64 police officers injured, as well as four dogs and a horse, and was one of a series of violent incidents in the wake of the murder of three young girls in Southport.

The inquest at Doncaster Coroner’s Court heard how officers and staff from a Sheffield police station, at HMP Doncaster, and at HMP Moorlands had no concerns raised about any mental health problem.

This is despite Mr Lynch’s son Lewis, who was in Doncaster prison at the same time for his involvement in the Manvers disorder, saying an inmate told him about suicide attempts by his father, which he reported.

The coroner said she was concerned about two aspects of the case, which had since been addressed by the prison.

Ms Mundy said one of those was about the amount of information provided to prisoners about being reported for adjudication before they are locked down.

She said the prison had told her this issue has already been addressed with a system that now provides follow-up engagement and assessment.

The coroner also said she was "satisfied" the prison had addressed concerns she raised over the time it took for Mr Lynch’s cell to be opened when he was seen to be unresponsive due to confusion among staff over emergency procedures.

Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.