Man, 58, was found hanged in prison cell (From Ledbury Reporter)

Man, 58, was found hanged in prison cell

9:00am Friday 22nd February 2013 in News

 A 58-YEAR-OLD man was found hanged in his jail cell with a picture of his children nearby as he waited to stand trial in Worcester on an attempted murder charge.

A “goodbye letter” attached to a photograph of his two children was found with Peter Mason, barrister Jonas Hankin told a hearing at Worcester Crown Court.

Mason had denied attempting to murder his estranged wife Deborah Mason and her new partner Michael Longden at their home in Ledbury on July 1 last year.

Both suffered multiple stab wounds. He also denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon, namely a knife.

Mason, a senior manager with computer firm Hewlett Packard, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, had been scheduled to stand trial on April 1.

DC Anna Clarke, the officer in charge, told the court she had been told Mason had been found in his cell at Gloucester prison in a phone call at 7am on Sunday, January 20, this year.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned and a date is to be fixed for it to be concluded.