A PRISONER has been found dead in his cell just two days after he was sentenced.

Wayne Edwin Roe, 29, of Hartington Place, Southend, was found unconscious in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Prison staff and paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Chelmsford Coroner’s Court heard yesterday that a post mortem gave his provisional cause of death as suspension.

Roe had pleaded guilty on Friday at Southend Magistrates’ Court to assault by beating and was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison as well as being given a restraining order for two years.

Last July he was sentenced by Southend Magistrates Court to 22 weeks in prison for a different offence.

A prison service spokesperson said: "HMP Chelmsford prisoner Wayne Roe was found unresponsive in his cell by prison staff at approximately 5.26am on Sunday.

"Prison staff attempted CPR and paramedics attended but he was pronounced dead at 6.01am.

"As with all deaths in custody, the Independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation."

A spokeswoman for Essex Police said: “Police were called at just before 6am on Sunday with reports of the death of a man in Chelmsford Prison.

“As with all deaths in prison police are investigating the circumstances and enquiries are continuing.”

At Chelmsford Coroner’s Court coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray adjourned the inquest and said she will need reports including those of medical tests on Roe’s body, the police report and information from the prison.