18 year old died by suicide in prison weeks before release
Annelise Sanderson died at the Cheshire prison in December 2020
Last updated 19th Jan 2024
The jury in the inquest of a young woman who died at HMP Styal in Cheshire has ruled she died by suicide.
Annelise Sanderson, 18, was sentenced in June 2020 to 52 weeks in custody after she assaulted a paramedic who went to her aid when she tried to set herself on fire at a petrol station.
Six months later, on December 22, she was pronounced dead at HMP Styal just weeks before she was due to be released.
In a statement outside Cheshire Coroner's Court, a solicitor spoke on behalf on Annelise's family:
"Annelise was a loving daughter, sister, niece, aunt and friend. She was not just another prison number.
"She was bright, and cheeky, and complicated. She liked to make people laugh. But she was also a vulnerable person, who faced serious difficulties with her mental health. When she entered HMP Styal, she had only just turned 18. You could tell from just looking at her she was still a child.
"Her death has been incomprehensible and devastating, and we think it could have been prevented.
"Over the course of this week we have seen for ourselves how Annelise was treated in prison; she was just another number to them. Her mental health issues were seen as bad behaviour, and when she withdrew into herself she was just left to her own devices.
"She fell through the cracks despite asking for help from people who should have kept her safe. The past few days have been painful and enraging.
"We thank the jury for the attention they have given Annelise's case and for recognising that there were failures in her care.
"Annelise was a special person, but in her fate she is not unique. Since her death, 3 more women have died in Styal. Our condolences go out to their families. Styal was not a safe place for Annelise, and we feel it is not a safe place for vulnerable women now."