A "calm, gentle and kind” man was beaten to death by his cellmate at HMP Thameside. 

Quang Nguyen was found cold and lifeless in his bed on February 7 last year with 50 blunt impact injuries at the hands of his cellmate Roland Viarode. 

Viarode, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, was given an indefinite hospital order after experts agreed he was suffering with schizophrenia at the time. 

Woolwich Crown Court heard that an inquiry is underway at HMP Thameside into why two “troubled” prisoners were put in the same cell and why staff did not conduct thorough checks when their cell’s alarm was raised during the night. 

Quang, from Vietnam, came to the UK in 2015 to earn money to send back to his family. 

“My son gave up his dream of studying to help earn money to raise his younger siblings,” his parents said in a statement. 

They described Quang as “calm, gentle and kind” but said that during the Covid pandemic Quang became isolated and depressed as he could not make money to send to his family. 

Quang was later was jailed for one year for burglary. 

He lost contact with his family, who only found out he was dead after asking the catholic community in London to help find him. 

His parents said: “My son’s death has left my family devastated and in turmoil, both mental and physical. 

“With the pain and loss that nothing can soothe because the wound in our family’s heart is so great. 

“My son in the last moment of his life had no one by his side and passed away alone, and surely at that time very desperate.” 

Viarode was in HMP Thameside awaiting sentencing for burglary. 

The two men became cellmates on February 1 because the prisoner who had previously shared with Viarode had objected to his self-neglect. 

Neighbouring prisoners described Viarode as “seeming like a crazy guy”, “looking a bit mental” and talking to himself, court heard on Thursday (September 19). 

Five days later, at 4.30pm on February 6, Mr Nguyen was seen entering his cell and did not leave it alive. 

Throughout that night neighbours reported hearing strange banging noises which sounded like a fight coming from their cell, but did not hear any shouting. 

Their cell alarm bell was activated at several points in the night but staff only “glanced” through the viewing window when conducting checks, Judge Andrew Lees said. 

During one check Viarode stood in front of the door, restricting the view into the cell, and simply asked for the time. 

It wasn’t until midday the following day that Mr Nguyen was discovered cold and lifeless in his bed. 

He had suffered 50 external blunt impact injuries including severe bruising to his face. 

Sentencing Viarode, Judge Lees ordered that he be detained in a secure mental health hospital under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act alongside a Section 41 restriction order, which means he can only be released from hospital if the Secretary of State for Justice agrees.     

Judge Lees said: “I would like to pass on my condolences to the family for what is a tragic death.”