Kyle Barrow, 28, accused of raping a man, has died while on remand at Forest Bank Prison in Salford. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, which investigates deaths in custody, confirmed his death on September 21.
Charges and court appearances
Mr Barrow, of Whalley Range, was charged in June. Greater Manchester Police said at the time that he was charged with rape, attempted rape, causing grievous bodily harm and aggravated burglary. He made an initial court appearance at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on June 27.
Police were called to reports of an 'intruder' at an address in Fallowfield, Manchester, at gone 3am on June 25. Mr Barrow pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. A trial date in the crown court was set for December 21, and the case was listed to be heard by a judge again on Monday, October 12, at Manchester Crown Court.
Investigation underway
Details confirming an investigation into his death are now underway have been published on the watchdog's website. The investigation is said to be 'in progress', with no further details into what happened revealed.
Forest Bank, a category B men's private prison in the Pendlebury area of Salford, is privately run by France-based facilities giant Sodexo. The prison has long faced criticism and concern over the number of fatalities there.
Prison response
An HMP Forest Bank spokesperson said the prison was cooperating with the investigation. In a statement, the prison said: "We express our deepest sympathies with Mr Barrow's family and friends at this difficult time. We are cooperating fully with the investigation, which is still ongoing, so we will not be making further comment at this stage."
