Hartlepool murderer Gareth Dack died by suicide in prison

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 00:32 · Archive

Gareth Dack, serving a life sentence for a Hartlepool murder, took his own life in his cell at HMP Frankland, a jury has concluded.

Gareth Dack, 41, was found unresponsive in his cell at HMP Frankland in Durham on 21 April 2025. Following a three-day inquest, a jury concluded that he died by suicide. A note addressed to his family was found on the table in his cell.

Dack was convicted in January 2017 of the murder and arson of Norma Bell, a 79-year-old grandmother and foster mother. He had strangled her to death in her home in early April 2016 and then set the house on fire to cover his tracks. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 33 years.

In the weeks before his death, Dack began experiencing paranoia and stopped wanting to leave his cell in late March 2025. On 14 April, a week before he was found dead, he passed a note under his cell door asking for help and told prison officers he had taken an overdose of prescribed medication. Prison staff opened an Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) care plan for him, the process used for prisoners identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm.

How it is being reported

• Hartlepool murderer Gareth Dack took his own life weeks after nine-year anniversary of heinous crimeHartlepool murderer Gareth Dack took his own life in April, 2026, a jury foundTeessideLive · 17 Oct, 00:01
• HMP Frankland prisoner serving life for Hartlepool murder intended to take own life, jury findsA prisoner serving life for a Hartlepool murder took his own life, a jury has concluded.Hartlepool Mail · 15 Oct, 16:41

In this story: Gareth Dack · Norma Bell · HMP Frankland · Hartlepool · Durham

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