MMA Fighter Rocky Stenning, Who Took His Own Life In Prison ‘Was Failed’ Sister Says

The sister of mixed martial arts fighter, Rocky Stenning has told an inquiry that her brother had been “failed” by the system after the 26-year-old Stenning took his own life in his cell at Chelmsford Prison in 2018. 

Stenning, 26, who had been described as “handsome, funny, caring, and loyal”, took his own life at HMP Chelmsford Prison in 2018, nine days after he was sentenced to a nine-year term. 

Stenning’s elder sister, Kristal Stenning testified before the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry last week, with testimonies gathered from families of people who had passed away in December last. 

The 41-year-old described her younger brother, Rocky Stenning, a 26-year-old former mixed martial arts fighter as funny and caring, and a man who “loved his family and friends”.

‘He (Rocky Stenning) would light up the room with his humor,” Kristal Stenning said. “He would always put other people first. He was a loving son, brother, uncle, boyfriend, and brother-in-law who was always there to protect us all. Anyone who was upset would always go to Rocky because they knew he could make them feel better. Even if he was feeling low himself, he would always make other feel on top of the world.”

The Stenning siblings had lost their father to suicide when Rocky was 14 years of age, Kristal explained, confirming that her younger brother had suffered from anxiety and depression and had been admitted on several occasions in the last four years of his life, before turning to mixed martial arts in a bid to attempt to deal with his mental health issues. Stenning had competed once under the Celtic Gladiator banner. 

Rocky Stenning had competed twice as and amateur as well as a professional

Stenning said during the inquiry that a psychiatrist had deemed that Rocky Stenning was fit to stand trial ahead of his sentencing, despite the fact he had “voiced ideas of suicide” in the past, had attempted to take his own life, and had not been placed on a care planning scheme for prisoners who were deemed at risk of self-harm or suicide.

“From the beginning of Rocky’s last stay in hospital to his time in prison before he died, every single person failed him” Stenning said. “All it would have taken is one person to stand up and get Rocky the help he needed, and we wouldn’t be here today. Rocky is not a one-off case. This happened before him, and it’s happened after him.”

“They have not learned anything from the inquest into my brother’s death,” Stenning said. “They still do not take mental health issues seriously. They are still failing more people.” (Transcribed by Essex Live)