The family of a man who died in jail of a suspected asthma attack just days before Christmas appealed last night for the investigations to be completed as soon as possible.

Steven Mansfield (Pepe) Dill, 41, died at the Prison Farm in Ferry Reach a matter of weeks before he was due to be released.

His family have threatened to sue the prison authorities on the grounds that they failed to get medical attention for Mr. Dill, who was known to have a serious asthma problem.

They have claimed that he would still have been alive today if only he had been sent to hospital once he became ill due his asthma pump breaking down.

The father-of-two, who had been living with his long-term love Lee-Anne Samuels for 15 years in Pembroke, began suffering an asthma attack soon after 6 p.m. on December 16. He died soon after midnight. Inmates have told the family they repeatedly called for doctors or an ambulance, but nothing was forthcoming.

Last night, Mr. Dill's brother, Raymond Troy Rawlins, said it was now two months after his death and the family had still not received any answers.

He said: “I think the investigations should have been completed by now - it' s been a number of weeks. I get the feeling the authorities are prolonging it. We want answers and we want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. It should never have happened to my brother.”

Mr. Rawlings said the family had sought legal advice, and were planning to take action, but had been told they would be unable to do anything until an inquest was held on Mr. Dill.

He added: “We have done everything we have been able to do so far. We have to wait now, but we will not let it rest.

“I think they are trying to keep this thing hush hush.”

Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Permanent Secretary Robert Horton previously told The Royal Gazette that two independent investigations were being carried out into the death.

The prison authority was preparing a report of its own, and the Police were carrying out a separate one for the Coroner.

Yesterday, Labour and Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister promised the family that all was being done to address the issues.

He said: “The Bermuda Police Service has provided the Ministry with regular updates in their investigation into the death of Steven Dill - an inmate of HM Prisons.

“I am confident that progress is being made in the investigation. There is a need for thoroughness and I am aware that a number of inmates, prison staff, family, Police and medical staff have been interviewed thus far.

“There has also been the need for the Police to convey forensic samples to the US for specialist examination and those results will not be known for several weeks.

“Clearly, as the Minister responsible for our Prisons, I have an expectation that a thorough investigation into Steven Dill's death is done. Substantial progress has been made and I expect a progress report from the Commissioner of Police in due course.”