A PRISONER with mental health issues was found hanging in his cell at Bullingdon Prison, an inquest heard.

Oxford Coroner’s Court heard that James Maughan, 34, from Bicester, was found dead on the morning of July 11 last year.

Coroner Darren Salter told a jury inquest yesterday that Mr Maughan was found at about 5.30am hanging from a ligature attached to a bed frame.

The cause of death was hanging, the inquest was told.

The married father-of-four, who was born in Ireland, arrived at the prison in April last year.

After being found in his cell on July 11 Mr Maughan was pronounced dead at 6.20am.

Mr Maughan’s family attended the hearing and a statement from his wife, Kelly Shakespeare, said he was a ‘really good dad’ who loved all his children.

She added: “The kids would always go to him for stuff because he could not say no to them.”

She added that as long as she had known him he had suffered mental health issues and that his mental health difficulties were something she tried to help him with.

Ms Shakespeare added that when she went to visit him on July 10 he seemed ‘really paranoid’.

In a statement, prisoner Robert Spanton said he had heard Mr Maughan saying that he was ‘stressed out’ and threatening to cut himself or kill himself.

The inquest heard that Mr Maughan had been transferred to a new cell the day before he died.

The hearing continues.