Royal hoax station 'made more calls'

11 September 2014 Last updated at 13:19

An Australian radio station which made a prank call to nurses treating the Duchess of Cambridge during her first pregnancy made four further calls to the hospital, an inquest has heard.

Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on 7 December 2012, three days after taking the call from two Australian radio DJs.

The hospital's barrister said the other calls were made shortly after the hoax but their content was unknown.

A request to give evidence by one of the DJs, Mel Greig, was rejected.

Without consent

Fiona Barton QC, representing the hospital, told the inquest: "If she [Mrs Saldanha] answered any of these calls - and there were four of them - then it can only have added to the stress she was under when she realised this was a prank call by a radio station."

"We do not know if the calls were in fact answered. If they were answered by Jacintha Saldanha there is an issue as to what was said as that could have further confounded the stress she felt and therefore had an impact on her death some time after."

Ms Barton said that if the calls were made in an attempt to obtain consent from the hospital to broadcast the prank then they "would have been taped". She added that no follow-up calls were made during working hours.

Maya Sikand, representing the DJs' employer, Southern Cross Media Group, told the hearing: "We cannot see now how this issue will assist the court in any way."

She accepted that the station broadcast the prank call without consent.

Ms Greig, who was at the inquest, said she was prepared to give evidence even though she was not on the official list of witnesses.

She tweeted before the hearing: "I made a commitment to the Saldanha family that I would answer any questions they have, on or off the stand, I'm here to uphold that promise."

Her lawyer, Gerwyn Samuel, told the court: "My client is in court having come to this country voluntarily in order to assist in any way she can, primarily to uphold her promise to the family of Jacintha Saldanha to answer any questions they may have."

But deciding on Ms Greig's application to give evidence, Coroner Dr Fiona Willcox said: "The relevant matter is not Ms Saldanha's demeanour during the call, but in fact her state of mind once she knew she had put the call through. That is something Ms Greig cannot give evidence on.

"What this court is given evidence on is the fact that the call was made and received, not why or how it was made. I do not require the assistance of Ms Greig on this regard."

Detailed update

Mrs Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza read a statement to the court in which he described her as "my beloved wife and a caring wife, loving mother and undoubtedly one of the best nurses".

He continued: "Ever since this incident we have missed her every moment, and will do so for the rest of our lives. She was a brave lady and we are very proud of her and we will always cherish her memory."

Mr Barboza said his wife had never suffered from psychological problems or depression, or attempted self-harm or suicide.

Westminster Coroners' Court is sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice for the inquest which is expected to last two days.

MP Keith Vaz, who has acted as a spokesman for the Saldanha family, is with them in court.

At a preliminary inquest hearing, a senior police officer said there were no suspicious circumstances.

The hearing was told there were injuries to Mrs Saldanha's wrist, and two notes were found among her possessions.

What are the key issues?

by Peter Hunt, BBC royal correspondent

It was meant to have been a fun and light-hearted prank.

But three days after Jacintha Saldanha had put through the call from the Australian DJs she was found hanged at the nurses' accommodation where she was staying.

Now, almost two years later, her delayed inquest is taking place.

At an earlier hearing the coroner, Fiona Wilcox, said the nurse's state of mind was a "very important issue".

Her family are keen to establish whether or not she was suitably trained to deal with the difficulties she faced.

Their barrister told the coroner last year that they wouldn't be focusing on the care and the counselling she received after putting the DJs through to a colleague on the ward.

At the time of her death, Mrs Saldanha was described as an "outstanding" nurse whose passing would leave "an unfillable void" in the lives of her family.

Berita Ceria