Key suspect found dead in prison cell
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A BRITISH man has been found dead in his West Australian jail cell hours after media reports identified him as the prime suspect in the murder of Perth jeweller Pamela Lawrence.
Simon Rochford, 38, was found dead in his cell at 7.44am (WST) this morning by prison officers at Albany Regional Prison, West Australian corrective services officials said.
Rochford was serving an indeterminate life sentence for the 1994 murder of his girlfriend Brigitta Dickens, who he bludgeoned to death at a Scarborough hostel.
From Huddersfield in Yorkshire, Rochford became a suspect in Ms Lawrence's murder after the man originally found guilty of the killing, Andrew Mallard, had his conviction quashed by the High Court late last year, after spending 11 years in jail.
Last week five police officers were stood down over the botched murder investigation.
Corrective Services Commissioner Ian Johnson said he could not disclose the cause of Rochford's death at this stage, but said he had been alone in his cell.Mr Rochford was interviewed by police last Thursday, May 11, and subsequently placed on suicide watch, Mr Johnson said.
He was taken off suicide watch on Tuesday after psychiatrists assessed he was coping with the news he was a suspect in Ms Lawrence's murder, Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson said Rochford saw television reports aired last night which publicly named him for the first time as a prime suspect in the Lawrence murder case.
Mr Johnson said he was not aware of a suicide note.
"We are not going to assume this is a suicide," Mr Johnson said.
"But there is nothing to indicate that is not the case."
AAP
