A man who stabbed his ex-partner in a coffee shop died in prison after staff ignored repeated suicide warnings.
Waleed Ali stabbed a woman who was pushing a pram on Edgware Road on October 20, 2022, then stabbed himself.
The attack took place at around 9am and came to an end when passers-by intervened to chase down Ali and hold him before police arrived.
Ali, 54, was arrested and charged with attempted murder before being remanded in HMP Wandsworth, where he was found dead in his cell within hours.
On Friday (April 24) the prisons watchdog issued a scathing report which concluded that Ali’s death was “absolutely foreseeable and possibly preventable”.
After he had been arrested for the stabbing, Ali was taken to hospital where he said he “hated his life” and wanted to end it. Discharge paperwork recorded “self-stabbing with intent to end life”.
Transferred later that day to Charing Cross police station, he repeatedly told officers he wanted to die, was placed under constant supervision, and a digital person escort record (dPER) was created flagging him as at risk of suicide and self‑harm.
On October 21, police and liaison nurses again noted his agitation and self‑harm.
They emailed Wandsworth’s mental health and reception teams to say he had tried to take his own life – but the prison inbox was not checked until three days after his death.
After he was remanded to HMP Wandsworth on October 22, escort officers again did not check or update the dPER; one was recorded saying “Oh bloody hell, really? I don’t want to listen to that” as Mr Ali cried and shouted that he could not breathe during the van journey.
Reception staff at Wandsworth never accessed the dPER, mislaid key clinical information and relied on a brief health screen in which Mr Ali denied suicidal thoughts, despite his “strange” behaviour and recent suicide attempt.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) later found this fell well below community‑equivalent care.
Placed in a shared cell at around 6.30pm, Ali pressed the cell bell five times within an hour and repeatedly asked to move, yet one officer took 29 minutes to respond on one occasion, did not ask why he wanted to move and “saw and heard nothing” to suggest he was unsafe.
At 8.03pm a routine check noted him standing by the window then by 9.06pm his cellmate had found him hanging and raised the alarm.
The PPO concluded that, given the “clear and repeated indications” of distress and the unchecked suicide warnings, Mr Ali’s death was “absolutely foreseeable and therefore possibly preventable”, and that multiple agencies “failed in their duty of care”.
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The watchdog highlighted systemic failures in risk assessment, information‑sharing and basic checks across police, Serco and HMP Wandsworth.
An inquest returned a verdict of suicide. The coroner concluded that Ali intended to take his own life but there were systemic failures to properly assess and communicate risk.
Inspectors and monitors have repeatedly warned that Wandsworth is a prison “in crisis”, citing chronic staff shortages and rising self‑harm, but say work is now under way on action plans to improve safety.
If you’re struggling or need someone to talk to, you can reach Samaritans any time, day or night, by calling 116 123 for free or visiting www.samaritans.org.
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