Child kidnap accused died of suffocation in cell:

INQUEST OPENING TOLD CHECK MADE ON 65-YR-OLD AT 5PM THE DAY BEFORE

AMAN charged with an alleged child kidnapping on Anglesey was found dead in his prison cell, an inquest heard.

Robert Frith of Tyn Parc, Holyhead, was discovered suffocated in his bed at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham just after 8.30am on November 14.

Paramedics were called but the former psychiatric nurse was pronounced dead after being formally identified by prison officers.

An inquest opening at Ruthin County Hall last Wednesday heard the 65-year-old had been arrested and remanded in custody on November 9, ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing in relation to the alleged kidnapping of a child in Gaerwen.

Coroner for North Wales east and central, John Gittins said checks had been carried out at the prison at around 5pm on November 13 – the night before Mr Frith was discovered dead.

A Home Office postmortem was carried out by Dr Brian Rodgers, who gave a provisional cause of death as suffocation.

Mr Gittins said deaths in custody automatically trigger a coroner’s inquest and said he will adjourn the hearing to await the findings of an investigation by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman before listing the matter for full inquest.

It comes after Mr Frith appeared at Llandudno Magistrates Court alongside five other defendants on November 9 accused of kidnapping a child under ten on November 4.

He was due to appear again before Caernarfon Crown Court on December 7.

The other defendants in the case are Jane Claire Going-Hill, 59, of Pump Street, Holyhead; Anke Hill, 50, of Cae Glas, Holyhead; Edward Stevenson, 68, of Parnell Close, Maidenbower, Crawley, West Sussex; Janet Stevenson, 66, a charity counsellor, of Parnell Close, Maidenbower, Crawley, West Sussex and Wilfred Wong, 55, of Pied Bull Court, Galen Place, Camden, London.

Prosecutor James Neary said that the defendants are alleged to have “unlawfully and by force or fraud took or carried away a child against his will”.

Wong is also charged with possessing a knife.