A PRISONER who died in a suspected murder-suicide at a Sydney jail was concerned about his "unstable" cellmate, his lawyer says. The bodies of the men, aged 41 and 47, were found at Silverwater Prison's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre during an inspection on April 1. Police say the homicide squad is pursuing murder-suicide as a line of inquiry. The men, both foreign nationals, were on remand for unconnected drug matters. The lawyer of one of the men, Nick Karayiannis, says his client had told him he was sharing the cell with a "nutter." He said Mr Karayiannis had also told his family his cellmate, Tien Tran, was unstable. "I (heard) that Nick had intervened in Mr Tran committing suicide on two prior occasions," lawyer Rod Van Houten told ABC TV on Monday. Mr Karayiannis was found dead with a bag around his head during a routine check on Easter Monday, according to the ABC. A coronial investigation has also reportedly determined Mr Karayiannis' cause of death as asphyxiation. Mr Van Houten said he had spoken to another prisoner at Silverwater jail who said there were "cries for help" during the suspected murder-suicide. "What's concerning is that if that was true, no one went to Nick's rescue," he said. Shadow attorney-general Paul Lynch has called for an inquiry into the incident. "Any inquiry should also address whether existing security standards are adequate and whether recent staffing cuts within corrective services are threatening inmate and guard safety," he said in a statement on Monday. Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) said all claims surrounding the matter would be fully investigated. A CSNSW spokeswoman said it would not make further comment as the matter was before the coroner.