Suicide attempts: Catalogue of bids to take his own life in prison

More reports and background on Stephen Griffiths

He has been kept under constant watch and segregated from other prisoners in the maximum-security Wakefield Prison, where some of Britain's most notorious criminals are caged.

Details of Griffiths's suicide attempts emerged last week when his legal team unsuccessfully applied in the High Court for a judicial review to relax his regime of 24-hour supervision and segregation.

Because of the seriousness of his crimes, Griffiths was held on the prison's healthcare wing from May 28

He has been under constant watch since he first tried to kill himself in June, less than three weeks after he was arrested.

On that occasion, Griffiths was found lying unconscious on the floor of his cell after trying to suffocate himself. There was a sock tied around his neck, and a plastic bag over his head.

In September Griffiths made a second attempt, slashing at his own throat with a shard of glass.

He had apparently smashed up much of his cell, including a television set, and then used broken glass from the screen in an attempt to cut his own throat.

Guards overpowered him and he was returned to the care unit to be treated for "superficial wounds".

Two weeks later he reportedly made a third attempt at suicide, with another piece of glass he had hidden.

Just hours after being moved back to the segregation unit from the healthcare wing, he reportedly slashed at his arm and his old wound with the glass, managing to draw blood before being overpowered again by prison staff.

On November 18, Griffiths swallowed four radio batteries in protest at his constant supervision.

He refused medical treatment and has gone on hunger strike.