The family of a prison inmate who died of a suspected asthma attack just weeks before he was due to be released have threatened legal action claiming negligence by guards.

Troy Rawlins said the family would not rest until it received answers as to why his brother Steven Mansfield (Pepe) Dill was not taken to hospital after becoming ill ten days ago.

He said he had already sought the advice of lawyer Patricia Harvey, of Harvey & Associates, and said the family planned to sue.

The family has accused guards on duty on Monday of last week of ignoring his brother's cries for help.

Mr. Rawlins said his 41-year-old brother had suffered severely from asthma for a long time and had gone to hospital for treatment before.

And he said prison guards knew about his condition.

He said inmates at the Prison Farm had since told him that his brother's asthma pump was broken and he had complained of being unable to breathe soon after he returned from work release at about 6.30 p.m. that night.

However, he said it seemed that little was done and his brother's health was allowed to deteriorate.

Mr. Dill died a few hours later, soon after midnight on Tuesday.

Mr. Rawlins said: "We have hired lawyer Patricia Harvey to get to the bottom of the situation.

"We believe somebody should pay for what happened to my brother.

"Somebody should face charges.

"The family is suing for damages.

"We believe what happened was down to negligence and therefore somebody should pay.

"My brother should still be alive today.

"If only they had listened when he complained, he would have been alive."

A funeral service was held for Mr. Dill, who had a 13-year-old son to his long-time girlfriend Lianne Samuels, at Christ Church in Devonshire on Saturday, which was attended by both Labour and Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister and Permanent Secretary Robert Horton.

Mr. Horton said he was not aware that the family had sought legal advice, but said he had spoken to both Mr. Dill's mother and father and was in touch with the family.

Nobody at the Prison Farm has been suspended, but two different investigations are underway into the sequence of events leading up to Mr. Dill's death.

Mr. Horton said: "There are two inquiries ongoing at the moment.

"Obviously, the Police are conducting an inquiry for presentation to the coroner.

"It involves extensive interviews, of not only prison officers but medical personnel who were involved in the events.

"It also involves an examination of the deceased's medical records.

"The Police Commissioner has assured me these things are very detailed and very time consuming, but he is very pleased with the progress and cooperation so far.

"I am unable to say when that one will be completed.

"And then there is an independent inquiry being carried out by the prisons department, at the request of the Commissioner (of prisons).

"We anticipate the prison inquiry will not be very time consuming and should be completed very soon.

"Nobody has been suspended.

"Both the Minister and I attended the funeral on Saturday, and we have spoken to the family. "We visited Mr. Dill's mother before the funeral, and have spoken to both his mother and his father."

The Royal Gazette was unable to make contact with lawyer Ms Harvey last night.