A prison has been told to keep a diary of significant dates in inmates’ lives, after a father killed himself two days before standing trial for his daughter’s murder.

Tony Couchman, 46, bled to death after slashing his arm with a razor blade in his cell in M-Ward at HMP Lewes on January 2 last year.

Two days later he was due to face trial accused of murdering his 19-year-old daughter Victoria.

A two-day jury inquest in Eastbourne heard that Couchman had confided to a fellow prisoner on M Wing that he was concerned about the upcoming trial and felt low.

When he initially arrived at the prison he had been placed under regular supervision of the assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) system for prisoners deemed at risk of suicide or self-harm.

But he was taken off regular observations three months later in July 2009.

In the run up to the trial, set to take place on January 4, 2010, he complained of feeling low and being “scared” about appearing in court but was not put back on the ACCT scheme.

East Sussex Coroner lan Craze suggested the prison should set up a computerised database alerting prison staff to potential trigger points for self-harm.

The database would include dates of a prisoner's looming trial, the birth of a child or other important landmarks that might mean an inmate would require closer supervision.

He said: “It seems to me that it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to devise a system that would flag up crucial calendar dates.

"It may be that the prison may not be concerned in the slightest but it wouldn't do any harm to find out."