Nurse in UK royal prank was found hanged
London, December 13, 2012
A British nurse who committed suicide after being taken in by a prank call to a hospital treating Prince William's pregnant wife Kate hanged herself from a wardrobe in her apartment, police said on Thursday.
Jacintha Saldanha's body was found last Friday, days after she put the call from an Australian radio station through to a colleague who disclosed details of the treatment of the Duchess of Cambridge, suffering from acute morning sickness.
Detective chief inspector James Harman told the coroner, an official who certifies causes of death, at an inquest that Saldanha was found hanging by a scarf.
"There were also some injuries to the wrist," he said. Three notes were also discovered at the scene.
The prank made headlines around the world, as did news that Saldanha, who was married with two children, had then apparently committed suicide, leading to widespread condemnation of the radio station involved, 2Day FM.
Presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian had phoned the King Edward VII private hospital at 5:30 am British time, pretending to be William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth and his father, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles.
Despite their unconvincing impersonations, Saldanha, who happened to answer the phone, transferred the call through a nurse on Kate's ward who disclosed brief details of her condition. - Reuters
