Vikki Thompson, 21, was being held at a male prison (Picture: SWNS)

A transgender woman sent to a male prison hanged herself in her cell after telling staff she would ‘leave in a box’, an inquest heard.

Vikki Thompson, 21, had lived as a female since she was 10 years old, but she was sent to a male prison even though she asked not to be.

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In a letter to her partner, she wrote: ‘I don’t think I can last very long in here. I can’t sleep at night. I just feel like I won’t be here no more.’

He said the letter continued: ‘I know I’m going to do something silly. I don’t want to but I can’t do this.’




Vikki was sent to HMP Armley Prison in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on November 13 2015 after breaching the terms of a suspended custodial sentence.

Vicky Thompson, 21 with boyfriend Robert Steele (Picture: SWNS)

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She had been assessed as a high-risk of suicide and self-harm.

Coroner Jonathan Leach told the jury inquest that prisoners are normally held in the prison of their gender unless they have a ‘gender recognition certificate’ that states otherwise.

As Miss Thompson did not hold a certificate, she was held in a prison that matched her birth gender, Wakefield Coroners’ Court, West Yorkshire, heard.

Mr Leach said: ‘When Vikki arrived at the prison she had scratches on her arm and cheek and, during an initial health screening, told the nurse that she had tried to hang herself in March 2015 whilst in prison previously.

‘Vikki was willing to share a cell and did not want to be on her own.

‘She had been drinking up to twelve cans of lager of day and was placed on a 21-day methodone detoxificaiton program.

‘Vikki wanted to move to a different wing in the prison as she said she had been bullied.

She died at HMP Leeds (Picture: PA)

‘She was assessed by a mental health nurse who she told she had a history of sexual abuse, drug use and bipolar disorder.’

Mr Leach added: ‘Vikki was told she could buy make-up and other items from a female prison which would then be sent to her.

‘On October 21 she met with prison staff and they agreed she couldn’t undergo reassignment in the near future and should focus on her detoxification.

‘On October 23 she told staff she was being verbally abused by prisoners but told ‘nothing could be done unless staff witness the abuse’.

The coroners court heard that Vikki had a history of self-harm and that she told prison staff she had cut herself because she ‘hated her face because she looked like a man.’

Mr Leach said: ‘On October 24 Vikki told staff that she felt low and would ‘leave prison in a box’.’

On the day of her death, Vikki was being checked by prison staff hourly.

Mr Leach told the court she had been seen curling her hair and watching TV during the visits.

However, later in the day at around 4.25pm she requested to speak to a nurse as she was struggling with withdrawal symptoms from methadone.



She was repeatedly checked where she was seen watching TV between 6pm and 7pm.

However, when she was checked at 8pm she was found unresponsive lying on the floor after hanging herself.

Prison staff called for immediate assistance and an ambulance and resuscitation was attempted; however, Vikki was pronounced dead at 8.46pm.

The inquest continues.