‘Body in freezer’ killer died in jail after Covid
A WOMAN serving 25 years for the brutal murder of her boyfriend died after contracting Covid-19 after refusing to shield from the disease despite already having asthma and the lung disease COPD.
Sharon Swinhoe died in hospital as a result of Covid-19 while serving her sentence at HMP New Hall at Flockton, between Wakefield and Huddersfield. She was 52.
The killer was serving 25 years for murdering her retired civil servant boyfriend Peter McMahon before plundering his bank account for thousands of pounds.
Alongside accomplice Joseph Collins, 54, Swinhoe, from Newcastle, was found guilty in 2013 of murdering the grandfather-of-one at her home.
Mr McMahon’s corpse was discovered in a chest freezer by police.
He had died from heart failure triggered by horrific injuries to his eyes caused by Swinhoe.
Swinhoe had been in a relationship with the former local government worker, described by the prosecution as her “sugar daddy”, and between the time he went missing and was discovered by officers, she had plundered £2,660 from his bank accounts.
A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman noted that Swinhoe died in hospital on February 23, 2021. She suffered from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, a lung disease) which contributed to but did not cause her death, the report said.
It continued: “Ms Swinhoe’s health conditions meant she was in the category for those at high risk of developing complications from Covid-19 and she was, therefore, advised to shield. Although she initially agreed, she refused to shield from August 2020 onwards.
“Healthcare and prison staff tried to persuade her to shield and when she declined, they gave her advice to minimise the risk of contracting Covid-19.”
The Ombudsman report added: “On 7 February, Ms Swinhoe felt unwell and tested positive for Covid19.
“She was monitored regularly by healthcare staff. On 15 February, an emergency ambulance was called after her condition deteriorated, but Ms Swinhoe refused to go to hospital. She was assessed as having the capacity to make that decision. On the morning of 23 February, Ms Swinhoe appeared to be recovering and spoke to staff.
“However, shortly afterwards she was found confused and showing signs of having had a stroke. She was taken to hospital but died later that day. It appears that Ms Swinhoe contracted Covid-19 in prison as she had not left New Hall in the 14 days before she tested positive for the virus. The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care that Ms Swinhoe received at New Hall was good and equivalent to that which she could have expected to receive in the community.
“We found that prison staff followed the national guidance on managing the risk associated with Covid-19. We found no non-clinical concerns and we have made no recommendations.”