A PRISONER who died in Perth Prison was seen by a doctor at Dundee police headquarters a few days earlier suffering from drug withdrawal, a fatal accident inquiry at Perth Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

The inquiry is looking into the circumstances of the death of Clark James Isard (34), Halley Terrace, Dundee, who was found hanging in his cell at Perth Prison on May 30 last year.

Yesterday Dr Ahmos Ghaly said he had been called out to see Mr Isard on May 26 when he was in custody at Dundee police headquarters.

“He was a bit agitated and showed symptoms of drug withdrawal,” the doctor said.

Dr Ghaly said the man told him he was a heroin addict and had taken his last dose 24 hours before.

The witness said he had prepared medication to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms and also bags of the medicine to be taken during the man’s time in police custody.

Looking at the records, Dr Ghaly said it appeared that two doses had not been signed for by staff but this did not mean they had not been given to the prisoner.

The amount of prescribed drugs left by the doctor was enough to last Mr Isard until the day he was to appear in court but not beyond that.

Prison officer David Younger said he saw Mr Isard, whom he knew well, when he arrived at Perth Prison.

He made a suicide risk assessment of the prisoner and decided he did not present a problem.

“Clark was his usual self that night,” Mr Younger said. “I spent 15 minutes with him—he was laughing and joking with staff.”

Also giving evidence was Kevin Bannon (39), from Dundee, who had known Mr Isard since childhood.

He received a call from Mr Isard from Perth Prison asking him to send some money. Mr Isard told him he would phone again the next day. Mr Bannon said his friend seemed a bit incoherent but he did not feel concerned about him.

At an earlier date the inquiry was told how Mr Isard was found in his cell with bed linen tied around his neck.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said he would issue his findings at a later date but among the issues he would be looking at was whether Mr Isard could have received more medication to tide him over his first night in prison.