Nurse in UK royal hoax found hanged – inquest

LONDON, United Kingdom – A nurse duped by a prank call to the London hospital treating Prince William’s pregnant wife Catherine was found hanging in her room, an inquest heard Thursday.

Jacintha Saldanha, 46, who was found in nurses’ accommodation near King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London on Friday, also left 3 notes before she died, a police officer told the hearing.

The mother-of-two also had injuries on one of her wrists.

Detective Chief Inspector James Harman told the inquest: “Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly, she was found hanging. There were also injuries to her wrist.”

“The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene.”

“At this time there are no suspicious circumstances.”

Two notes were found in her room and another was among her possessions, Harman told the inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court, without revealing their contents.

In England, inquests are held to examine sudden or unexplained deaths. They set out to determine the place and time of death as well as how the deceased came by their death. They do not apportion blame.

Australia’s media watchdog on Thursday opened an investigation into the prank call.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said its probe was into the broadcaster, 2Day FM, and not presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian who have borne the brunt of worldwide anger.

Saldanha, a nurse originally from near Mangalore on the southwest Indian coast and a mother of two children, was found dead Friday.

Three days earlier she answered a prank call to the hospital made by two Australian radio presenters impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and her heir Prince Charles, William’s father.

Saldanha put the call through to a nurse who divulged details of Kate’s condition as she recovered from acute morning sickness. – Agence France-Presse.