A MAN accused of murdering a mother-of-two was found hanged in his prison cell hours before he was due to appear in court, an inquest heard.

John Wright died on December 15, 2017, while on remand at HMP Bullingdon, near Bicester, after being accused of strangling Janine Bowater in Thatcham, Berkshire, on 12 December 2017.

An inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court on Tuesday heard how the 32-year-old landscape gardener told a health worker it was a 'case of when, not if' he was going to kill himself before he arrived at the Oxfordshire prison.

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But prison officers decided to downgrade Mr Wright's observation status from 'constant watch' to twice an hour, the court heard.

In a narrative conclusion, a jury said they believed Mr Wright intended to end his own life, which Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter said was 'precisely the information that should not be allowed to fall through the gap'.

Mr Wright, of The Hollands, Thatcham, Berkshire, was found at 11.45pm on December 14, 2017 and was pronounced dead at 12.58am on December 15 by South Central Ambulance Service.

The jury said it believed the 'opportunity for Mr Wright to end his life' was 'afforded' by the decision to downgrade his observation status, which was made following screening.

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But jurors added this decision was taken 'without due consideration to the information provided' and 'further compounded by inconsistencies and inaccuracies' in the sharing of information.

The jury forewoman told the court that had all information on the suspect been communicated, it would have 'assisted the staff in their decision making around the level of observation required'.

Prison officer Emma Richards told the inquest she had not been aware of Mr Wright's comments about taking his own life, but said that if she had known the decision 'would have been potentially altered'.

Mr Wright had been due to appear at Reading Crown Court on the day he died.

A post mortem established Mr Wright's cause of death as compressions of the neck, consistent with suspension.