A MAN hung himself in prison while awaiting trial for the brutal murder of his ex-wife.

David Turner, 48, of Farnham Road, Newton Hall, killed himself in his cell at Holme House Prison, Stockton, on April 6 last year.

Turner murdered his former wife, Linda Hewitt, 45, in front of neighbours and passers-by as she left her home in Ryelands Way, Pity Me, on January 26, last year.

Witnesses said he chased Ms Hewitt as she ran from the house, before pulling her to the floor and stabbing her repeatedly with a kitchen knife.

He then sat on a neighbour's step waiting to be arrested by police.

Turner was on remand when he was found hanging by a bed sheet tied to the toilet door in his cell at 6.30am.

An inquest jury at Teesside Coroner's Court heard that he had a history of depression, aggravated by alcohol abuse.

A report by his GP revealed the former civil servant was an alcoholic and was drinking a bottle of whisky a day at the time of the killing, which took place a year after the couple divorced.

Joe Nichol, a governor at Holme House Prison, said Turner had been put on suicide watch after he was admitted on January 30, but this had been lifted on March 31.

Donald Storm, Turner's cell mate, said Turner rarely left his cell apart from at meal times.

Mr Storm said: "He was like a fish out of water. He was petrified of being attacked by other prisoners. He cut himself off from the other inmates. All he did was read the thickest books he could find.

"He said he wasn't going to trial. By this, I thought he meant he was going to enter a guilty plea."

Mr Storm was moved to Durham Prison following a court appearance the day before Turner's death.

The inquest heard that Turner was found hanging alone in his cell by an officer doing a routine early morning check on prisoners.

Attempts were made to resuscitate him after he was cut down, but he was pronounced dead by the prison doctor.

The jury's verdict was that Turner had killed himself by hanging.