Stephen Shaw, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, is expected in the Island within days to conduct an inquiry into the death of Neil Anthony Davey.
The 29-year-old was found hanging in his cell last Saturday lunchtime and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards when efforts to revive him failed.
He was being held on remand facing two charges of theft.
Mr Shaw’s inquiry will run separately from, but alongside, the one already being carried out by the States police.
That Mr Shaw was coming to Jersey was revealed at the opening of the inquest into Mr Davey’s death yesterday.
Det insp Chris Beechey, the senior investigating officer from the States force, confirmed that the cell in which Mr Davey was found had been sealed until the arrival of the UK investigators.
He told the inquiry that Mr Davey was pronounced dead at 2.28 pm on Saturday in the accident and emergency department of the General Hospital.
Det insp Beechey added: ‘In addition to our own investigation, I was informed by the Prison Governor yesterday afternoon that the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will be conducting an independent inquiry into the events at HMP La Moye.
‘The two inquiries will run side by side and indeed will follow a protocol that is used regularly in the UK for these and similar events.
This protocol has been agreed by the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office Correctional Service and has a set of instructions whereby the various investigating parties agree on strategy, terms of reference and their investigative responsibilities.’ Deputy Viscount Peter de Gruchy said that inquests into the deaths of people held in custody could be heard by a jury if that form of hearing was in the public interest.
He said that he was currently minded to convene a jury to decide how Mr Davey died, although he would be hearing the views of a number of parties on the matter before making a final decision.
‘When someone dies in custody, a most thorough investigation is called for,’ said Mr de Gruchy.
Having confirmed with Det insp Beechey that there was no reason why Mr Davey’s body could not be released for cremation, he adjourned the inquest, with no date fixed for the next hearing.
