A 61-year-old man who was found dead in prison is believed to have killed himself, an inquest heard.
Peter Lynch was jailed after being convicted of rioting outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Manvers, Rotherham.
Lynch died at HMP Moorland in South Yorkshire on 19 October, Doncaster coroner’s court was told on Thursday.
Lynch was jailed for two years and eight months on 22 August after he was convicted of violent disorder.
Sheffield crown court had heard how he was at the front of a mob that gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express on 4 August, shouting “scum” and “child killers” at police.
He was pictured holding a placard, which claimed corruption of various people and organisations, including MPs, judges, the media and the police.
In court, his defence barrister had described Lynch, who is survived by three children and four grandchildren, as “very caring” and a “family man”. He also said that Lynch had suffered a heart attack earlier in the year and had been diagnosed with diabetes.
Ian West, defending, had said the placard was “a general conspiracy theory against anyone and any form of authority”, adding: “This was slightly off-topic from what was going on that day.”
Doncaster’s senior coroner, Nicola Mundy, opened and adjourned the inquest into Lynch’s death at which she was told that his preliminary cause of death was hanging.
The inquest heard that “ancillary investigations” were continuing into his cause of death and Mundy said she did not yet have a full report from the pathologist.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service previously said: “As with all deaths in custody, the prisons and probation ombudsman will investigate.”
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
