Banbury man's death in prison is no longer being treated as murder following post-mortem

Kevin Golby was discovered dead in his cell at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough on Tuesday, December 10.

The 49-year-old had been assaulted at the Category C prison the day before, leading police to launch a murder investigation.

Northamptonshire Police and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) Major Crime team worked alongside the prison service on the investigation.

Initially, forensic postmortem findings were inconclusive, and they were not able to pinpoint a provisional cause of death.

However, further investigations have shown that Mr Golby’s death was not linked to the assault the day before his death.

Following the findings of the Home Office pathologist, the murder investigation has been closed; a 20-year-old serving prisoner arrested in connection with the incident has been released with no further action.

Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell, who led the investigation, said: “It is only right that an incident such as this is treated with the utmost seriousness to make sure we have done all we can to understand what has happened and to get the answers those left behind need and want.

“In Mr Golby’s case, I can confirm the evidence we have examined did not support his death as a homicide, which has now been further confirmed by the final forensic post-mortem report.

“Our decision has been explained to Mr Golby’s family. A file has been prepared and handed over to the coroner’s office.”

Golby was jailed in August 2023 for 18 months after assaulting his father and an emergency worker.