Inquest opens into death of woman found dead in temporary accommodation shortly after leaving prison
An inquest opens today into the death of a 31-year-old woman whose body was found in temporary hotel accommodation shortly after she left prison.
An inquest opens today into the death of a 31-year-old woman whose body was found in temporary hotel accommodation shortly after she left prison #UKhousingAssistant coroner Melanie Lee will oversee a hearing, expected to last three days at St Pancras Coroner’s Court, about the circumstances surrounding Colleen Madden’s death.
The inquest will look at the arrangements made by relevant state bodies to plan for her release, including with respect to accommodation, care and support.
The temporary hotel accommodation was provided by the London Borough of Camden in January 2025. The council has been asked to comment on the opening of the case.
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The family is being represented by members of the charity Inquest’s Lawyers Group – Catriona McGregor of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors and Sophie Walker of One Pump Court Chambers – and supported by Selen Cavcav, senior caseworker at Inquest.
Ms Madden has been described as “a much-loved mother of two young girls, sister, daughter and friend”. Inquest explained how she had sustained a brain injury following a road traffic accident in September 2018.
Between September 2024 and January 2025, she was released from prison on four occasions.
The first three of those occasions resulted in recalls to prison after Ms Madden’s accommodation arrangements broke down and the Probation Service decided she could not be managed in the community.
She was released from prison for a fourth time on 13 January 2025 following a 14-day recall, and was placed in temporary hotel accommodation in King’s Cross, London.
On 16 January, police conducting a welfare check found Ms Madden in her hotel room, where she was declared dead shortly after. The available medical evidence suggests she died on the evening of 13 January.
According to Inquest, in the year to March 2025, 622 people died after being released from prison, with the first 14 days proving especially critical, accounting for 10% of all such deaths.
Other interested persons represented in the case are the Ministry of Justice, the London Borough of Camden, Sodexo, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, the Forward Trust and Irwin Mitchell Trust Corporation.
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