Spice has caused another death in prison, an inquest has found. Adam Diesa-Green, 24, was found unresponsive at HMP Lowdham Grange at 5:50pm on 17 January 2025.
The jury at Nottingham Coroner’s Court determined that he died by misadventure. Jurors said his use of the synthetic cannabinoid was “a reckless act” that led to a cardiac arrest. They also said that Spice “and other illicit substances were widely available in the prison at the time”.
The court heard that Mr Diesa-Green had first gone to prison on 23 June 2023. The jury said he had worked with the prison’s substance misuse team before his death and had received several warnings about the dangers of Spice.
Jurors noted that he was not on ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork), the system for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm. He could buy vapes through the prison’s canteen system. The jury found that synthetic cannabinoids in his possession caused his death.
Assistant Coroner Simon Burge offered his condolences to the family. He described Mr Diesa-Green as a cheerful and happy person whom his friends and family loved very much.
Mr Burge noted concerns about how common drugs were in the prison. He also told the jury he had dealt with other similar cases at Lowdham Grange. However, he said changes at the jail had satisfied him, and he would not issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report.
“The challenge of preventing drugs getting into prison, stopping them being spread so widely and easily in the prison, and identifying those affected by substances, such as Spice, is an ongoing challenge, and nobody is going to pretend it’s easy,” he said.
When Mr Diesa-Green died, Lowdham Grange operated as a state-sector prison under HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). In 2023 the jail had moved from one private operator, Serco, to another, Sodexo, in a controversial transfer. HMPPS then took control in 2024. That followed a series of prisoner deaths which inquests attributed to short staffing and unsafe conditions under Sodexo.
Lowdham Grange is a category B prison for men in the East Midlands. At its last full inspection, in June 2025, inspectors rated safety and respect as poor. They rated purposeful activity and preparation for release as not sufficiently good.
