The suicide of a young man in Wormwood Scrubs Prison Hospital is reviewed from a medico-legal perspective. The author comments on his examination of the deceased prior to sentencing. The unexpectedly harsh sentence stood in sharp contrast to the author’s recommendation of not more than 3 years confinement, with clinical treatment. Forwarding of psychiatric reports from court to prison is deemed critical: in this instance, not all medical reports accompanied Richard Holmes to prison.