A prisoner described by his mum as "very caring" died after taking a 'bad batch' of drugs circulating on his wing. An inquest into the death of Lewis Rhys Thomas Petryzyn, held at Pontypridd coroner’s court, heard how he was found unresponsive in his cell at HMP Parc Prison on April 15, 2022.
Mr Petryzyn, from Alltwen, in the Swansea Valley, and his cellmate, Adam Mathias, had smoked the psychoactive substance, known as spice, on the day of his death. At 2.30pm, life-saving treatment had been administered to him by prison staff and paramedics, but he was pronounced dead at 4.03pm.
Mr Mathias, who referred to himself as Mr Petryzyn’s “pad mate” gave evidence to the inquest, describing him as a “friendly sociable person, who got along with everyone and was easy to be a friend with.” Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
He explained how the 25-year-old had been struggling to sleep properly, as he did not have medication he needed, and would turn to spice, which he claimed had been routinely offered to inmates.
“I was trying to get him off it, I had just become clean,” Mr Mathias said. “It’s hard being banged up all day, cleaners coming to your door and offering it to you, it’s hard for him.”
Mr Mathias explained Mr Petryzyn had told him he had “slipped up” on the day of his death by acquiring the drug, which they shared. Mr Mathias said it “hit me straight away”, indicating its strength.
“He said I’ve slipped up again and pulled some of it (spice) out,” he said. “Me and him smoked it together that day. I asked him if i could have a little bit. I smoked it, put it down and he smoked it.
“Lewis smoked his, he didn’t move for a couple of minutes. I was on the phone, but I asked if he was okay and he said ‘yeah’, and he started laughing. He went to walk to his bed and wobbled a bit. I jumped up, helped him to his bed, and jumped back on my phone for a minute or two, then fell asleep.
“I woke up to him being sick at the toilet, and I asked if he was ok and he put his thumb up. I fell back to sleep, and woke up to the sound of staff coming into the cell. They said ‘What’s wrong with him?’ and then I saw his face.”
Mr Mathias said there had been “a couple of code blues” on the wing days before Mr Petryzyn had died, and that there had been talk of a “bad batch of spice” circulating and for people to be careful.
He added: “Park is a very violent place, you’ll hear about it all the time about people getting hurt, violence, spice. The staff know if you’re under the influence of spice, they will put you behind your door and request health care to come see you.”
A statement was read by area coroner Patricia Morgan on behalf of Mr Petryzyn’s mother, Karen Thomas. It heard how he was very close to his family, who “miss him every minute of every day”, and that he was a “mammy’s boy, but didn’t care and would openly admit it.”
The inquest heard how the former Cwmtawe comprehensive school pupil had a “very caring nature and would always help people out”. The 25-year-old was described by his mother as a “very happy and carefree person who made friends easily”, who had a big circle of friends and a passion for travelling, having gone abroad almost every year of his life, to destinations including Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and Ibiza, and worked for a season in Majorca.
Mr Petryzyn also has a passion for football, having been a season ticket holder for Swansea City Football Club and supported Liverpool. He had, himself, played for Pontardawe and Alltwen, until knee injuries stopped him from continuing. He had spoken of plans to become a barber, and go to Iceland with his family when he was released.
His mum said: “We have so many precious memories. He made me proud every day. I still feel like this isn’t real.” The inquest, held before a jury, which is scheduled to run until April 11, continues.
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