Knockholt station unprovoked attack murderer dies in prison

In November 2017, Jamie Simmons dragged 23 year-old Samir Draganovic from the platform at Knockholt railway station then killed him with a machete. 

Samir was a complete stranger to Simmons and was simply on his way home to Croydon. 

In May 2018, Simmons was found guilty of murdering Samir and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years. 

But it has now been revealed that 41-year-old Simmons was found hanging in his cell at HMP Swaleside on February 26, 2022. 

Simmons died in hospital one week later. 

‘He was just trying to go home’ 

On November 5, 2017, CCTV footage showed Simmons and Samir running off the end of the platform before Mr Simmons returns alone. 

Mr Draganovic's body was found with stab wounds by a train driver passing the scene later that night. 

Following a public appeal, Simmons handed himself into a police station on November 8. He was then charged with murder. 

Simmons was convicted by a jury at Inner London Crown Court today (May 10) after deliberating for less than an hour and a half. 

During the trial, Simmons pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, claiming he could not remember killing Samir. 

He did not explain to the court or to police why he killed him. 

At the time senior investigating officer Paul Langley said: “Simmons tried to claim that he couldn’t remember ever assaulting Draganovic but the court saw through his attempts to avoid justice. 

“This was a brutal attack against a young man and appears to have been entirely random. Samir was simply on his way home.” 

Jamie Simmons had been serving a life sentence (Image: BTP)

'Death by misadventure’ 

On Friday (March 15) a fatal incident report was published by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, revealing that Simmons died in prison on March 4, 2022. 

A subsequent inquest concluded that he died of misadventure. 

It was revealed that Simmons was suspected of being involved in the prison’s drug trade, acting as an enforcer for dealers. 

He had been taken to hospital after he was found with injuries on February 25. 

An x-ray also showed that Simmons had a mobile phone inside his body. 

He discharged himself from hospital at around 1am on February 26 and was taken to the prison’s Care and Separation Unit. 

At 1.53am a prison officer responded to a prisoner’s call bell. 

The prisoner said Simmons needed to be checked. The officer then found Simmons hanging in his cell. 

He died a week later when his life support machine was turned off.