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Mel Greig, the Australian radio DJ who took part in the royal hoax call after which nurse Jacintha Saldanha killed herself, has told of her own fears after receiving death threats and bullets in the post.
In a recent interview with BBC Two’s Newsnight, Mel Greig said: “I was in lockdown for months. There were bullets with our name on it sent to police stations.”
She also revealed that that at one point someone had rung her mother and said “eye for an eye, you deserve to die”.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha died in 2012, after the hoax call to a London hospital treating the pregnant Kate Middleton.
Mel Greig and colleague Michael Christian made their prank call to King Edward VII’s Hospital in December 2012.
Mel Greig took part in the royal hoax call after which nurse Jacintha Saldanha killed herself
They pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles asking about Kate Middleton’s treatment for severe morning sickness.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, answered the call and transferred it to a colleague, who gave details of the duchess’s condition.
The nurse was found hanged three days later.
In her first UK broadcast interview, Mel Greig said she will always feel at fault “to an extent” about her death.
“I was mentioned in Jacintha’s suicide note – not the Australian DJ, my name,” she said.
“She thought of me before she took her own life. How can you not feel guilt and blame? And I always will, but I have learnt to deal with it now.”
Mel Greig revealed how she had been the victim of death threats since the incident.
“I don’t want to sit here and go <<poor me, it was terrible>>,” she said.
“[The Saldanha family] have lost a wife and a mother, but the trolling and the death threats were disgusting.”
Mel Greig said as well as the bullets being sent in the post, she had been stalked and harassed for 18 months.
She said the worst point was when someone rang her mother and threatened her with revenge.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian were working for Sydney’s 2Day FM when they made the hospital call.
She quit at the end of last year.
Mel Greig said she would urge anyone in the radio industry thinking about making a prank call to seriously consider the potential consequences.
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Australian radio station 2Day FM at the center of Kate Middleton prank call “broke the law”, the country’s media watchdog has said.
The finding came in a confidential, preliminary report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which emerged in a court case.
The report said 2Day FM acted illegally by airing the phone call without consent.
Lawyers for 2Day FM’s owner, Southern Cross Austereo, are seeking to block the report, according to local media.
2Day FM acted illegally by airing Kate Middleton prank call without consent
The document came to light as part of their Federal Court hearing, in which they argue the ACMA does not have the power to make a criminal finding, only the courts do.
Australian Federal Police are currently investigating the call.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha in UK was found dead in December, three days after DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian duped her into transferring a call to the Duchess of Cambridge’s hospital ward.
A ward nurse at King Edward VII’s Hospital then gave the DJs details about the condition of Kate Middleton, who was being treated for severe morning sickness at the time.
Michael Christian returned to work two months after the prank call, while Mel Greig remains off air and is suing her employer for failing to provide a safe workplace.
Mel Greig is due to give evidence in person at the London inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s death. The inquest was delayed in July for the second time to give coroner Dr. Fiona Wilcox time to “seek more information”.
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Mel Greig, the Australian DJ behind Kate Middleton prank call linked to the death of UK nurse Jacintha Saldanha, has sued her employer, saying it failed to provide a safe workplace, local media say.
Mel Greig’s lawyer said a complaint against Southern Cross Austereo had been lodged with Fair Work Australia.
She and her co-host Michael Christian made a prank call to the London hospital where the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for morning sickness last year.
The nurse who answered the phone call was later found dead.
Mel Greig remains off air in the wake of the incident, but co-host Michael Christian returned to work two months later.
“I can confirm that a general protections application has been filed with Fair Work Australia on behalf of Mel Greig against Southern Cross Austereo alleging the radio station failed to maintain a safe workplace,” Mel Greig’s lawyer, Steven Lewis, told local media in Australia.
“The matter will proceed to confidential conciliation under the Fair Work Act.”
Mel Greig remains off air in the wake of Kate Middleton nurse prank call, but co-host Michael Christian returned to work two months later
No further details of the complaint were available.
Fair Work Australia, the national workplace relations tribunal, said it would try a conciliation conference for the two parties, local media report.
If the issue cannot be resolved, Mel Grieg will have to seek legal recourse in a federal court.
Her employer has yet to issue a comment on the matter.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha put the Australian DJs through to another nurse at the King Edward VII’s Hospital in Marylebone, who gave an update on the duchess’s condition – an incident that drew widespread media coverage in the UK.
Jacintha Saldanha believed the DJs were the Queen and Prince Charles.
The 46-year-old wife and mother-of-two was found hanged three days later. An inquest into her death has yet to be held.
In February, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence to charge Michael Christian and Mel Greig with manslaughter over Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
Mel Greig is expected to appear at the inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s death, expected later this year.
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Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide note has revealed that Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were given details of Kate Middleton’s health by the nurse during a radio hoax, drove her to take her own life.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, directly blamed the radio presenters in a suicide letter found by her hanged body.
The note said: “I hold the Radio Australians Mel Greig and Michael Christian responsible for this act.
“Please make them pay for my mortgage.”
Jacintha Saldanha left the handwritten note in her living quarters close to King Edward VII’s Hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated for acute morning sickness last year.
The nurse took her own life last December- just three days after she transferred the hoax call to a ward nurse.
It had been thought that Jacintha Saldanha was unhappy with how the hospital treated her after falling victim to the prank call.
But she exonerates the hospital from any responsibility in the letter and points the finger of blame at the 2Day FM presenters.
Jacintha Saldanha, a mother-of-two, addressed the message to her managers at the exclusive London hospital.
She said: “Please accept my apologies. I am truly sorry. Thank you for all your support.”
Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide note has revealed that Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian drove her to take her own life
An inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s death was due to begin this week but has been delayed. The nurse was found hanging by a scarf from a wardrobe in her bedroom on December 7.
Jacintha Saldanha shared a home in Bristol, UK, with her husband Benedict Barboza, 49, and their two children, Junal, 17, and Lisha, 14.
She had been working in England for ten years but was said to be having problems working at King Edward VII.
It has been revealed Jacintha Saldanha had been taking anti-depressants for nine months after attempting suicide twice in 2011.
She was closely monitored as a high-suicide risk but her employers were unaware of this.
Radio DJ Mel Greig has not returned to work since the hoax call was broadcast in December.
She made the call with co-host Michael Christian, who has since taken a lower profile job at a Melbourne station.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian were sent death threats and hate mail in the aftermath of the prank call.
The radio presenters rang the hospital impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and asked questions about Kate Middleton’s pregnancy.
Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the radio station, has offered to pay 500,000 AUD into a trust fund for Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
Labour MP Keith Vaz spoke on behalf of Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
He said: “The forthcoming inquest will hopefully provide answers for the family and for them time will represent closure.”
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Michael Christian, one of the two Australian DJs who made a prank call to the London hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated, is back on air.
Michael Christian was suspended two months ago by 2Day-FM in Sydney after nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who answered the phone – and believed the callers to be the Queen and Prince Charles – was found dead.
He is broadcasting on sister-station Fox FM in Melbourne.
His co-presenter at the time of the prank, Mel Greig, is still off the air.
Kate Middleton was being treated at King Edward VII’s Hospital for an extreme form of morning sickness when Michael Christian and Mel Greig made their prank call pretending to be members of the Royal Family.
The nurse answered the call and put them through to another nurse who gave an update on the duchess’s condition.
Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old wife and mother-of-two, was found hanged three days later. She had left three suicide notes, her inquest revealed as it was opened and adjourned.
Michael Christian, one of the two Australian DJs who made a prank call to the London hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated, is back on air
Earlier this month the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence to charge Michael Christian and Mel Greig with manslaughter over Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
2Day FM is owned by Southern Cross Austereo and its chief executive officer, Rhys Holleran, said: “We are happy to have Michael back on air.
“We have always supported our talent returning to work when appropriate and today marks that occasion for MC [Michael Christian]. We look forward to welcoming Mel Greig back when the time is right.”
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after answering a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, made two attempts to kill herself last winter and had been prescribed antidepressants.
Jacintha Saldanha, who took her own life days after the call from Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, attempted to commit suicide last December with an overdose of pills during a family visit to India.
She survived after being rushed to hospital but tried to commit suicide again just nine days later by apparently jumping from a building.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, spent several days in intensive care before receiving psychiatric treatment and being prescribed a course of powerful antidepressants for nine months.
Along with the previous suicide attempts, reported in an Indian newspaper, members of Jacintha Saldanha’s family have revealed that the nurse was so ashamed after taking the hoax call earlier this month that she did not tell her husband or children about it before her death, despite speaking to them by phone several times.
Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged with a scarf at her living quarters at the King Edward VII’s Hospital in Central London on December 7.
Three days earlier, Jacintha Saldanha was the duty nurse who answered the prank call from Mel Greig and Michael Christian, and transferred it to a colleague.
That nurse revealed confidential medical information about pregnant Kate Middleton, who was being treated at the hospital for acute morning sickness. The call was broadcast in Australia and made headlines around the world.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after answering a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, made two attempts to kill herself last winter and had been prescribed antidepressants
Yet the closest Jacintha Saldanha came to telling her husband she was at the centre of the story was when she told him to watch the news, claimed family members in her home town of Mangalore, southern India.
“The first her husband knew that she was the victim of the hoax call was when police told him she was dead. Nobody in the family knew,” said her younger brother Naveen Saldanha, 42.
“They spoke several times that week but she did not tell him or the kids anything about it.”
The latest insight into the nurse’s state of mind came as British police confirmed yesterday they had passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether any offences had been committed.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian could be charged with attempting to obtain medical details by deception. Further charges could be brought against Australian radio station 2Day FM if it is found to have broadcast the prank without the permission of the participants.
Although Jacintha Saldanha’s family have previously said she did not have a history of depression, new reports suggest she has been battling the condition since at least December last year.
That month, Jacintha Saldanha, her accountant husband Benedict Barboza, 49, their son Junal, 17, and adopted daughter Lisha, 14, attended a family wedding in Shirva, 30 miles north of Mangalore. But on December 30, just days after the devout Catholic family celebrated Christmas, Jacintha Saldanha is believed to have taken an overdose of pills. She was rushed to a private hospital in Mangalore, where she was treated for “self-harm”.
On January 8 this year, she is believed to have attempted suicide again and was treated at Father Muller Medical College Hospital for head injuries suffered in a “fall”.
She was kept in intensive care for several days and then admitted to the psychiatric ward of the hospital, where she was treated for depression.
Jacintha Saldanha was discharged three days later and given a nine-month course of anti-depressants. Her family was warned there was a risk that she may attempt suicide again.
Her medication would have finished in September. It is not known if she was prescribed any more or if staff at King Edward VII’s knew of her fragile condition.
Last night, her brother, an engineer in Mangalore, said: “We didn’t know about the first incident, but we knew about the second incident at Father Muller.”
He refused to give further details.
Mr. Saldanha said Jacintha spoke to her husband by telephone on the evening of the prank call, which was made at 5.30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 4, but did not tell him about her involvement. He added that she spoke to her husband and children twice the following day, but still did not reveal anything, though she told Benedict Barboza to watch the news.
Mr. Saldanha said he believes his sister did not tell her family in the UK or India about the hoax as she felt ashamed.
Benedict Barboza became slightly concerned when his wife did not call on Thursday, December 6, but believed she was busy with nursing classes.
On Friday morning, he called a colleague of Jacintha Saldanha to check on his wife. Hours later, he was told of her death by officers from Avon and Somerset Police.
Last week, the body of Jacintha Saldanha was flown back to India and buried according to her wishes in the village of Shirva.
The funeral of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself following a royal hoax call in London, is taking place in her Indian hometown, Shirva.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, will be buried after the service at a church in Shirva, just outside Mangalore on the south-west Indian coast.
Her family arrived at the church earlier with her coffin.
Jacintha Saldanha had taken a prank call about Kate Middleton who was being treated for acute morning sickness.
Two presenters on a Sydney-based radio station convinced staff they were the Queen and Prince Charles, and were connected to the duchess’s private nurse and given an update on her condition.
Jacintha Saldanha, who transferred the call, was found dead days later, in nursing accommodation attached to the King Edward VII hospital.
Her funeral was preceded by a memorial service and she is to be buried at a cemetery on the church grounds in Shirva.
The funeral of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself following a royal hoax call in London, is taking place in her Indian hometown, Shirva
Jacintha Saldanha’s husband, Benedict Barboza, visited the cemetery on Monday morning to look at the grave where she will be laid to rest.
Thousands of people were expected to attend the service, and the authorities had made extensive arrangements, including deploying additional security.
Earlier, local police set up barricades because large numbers were expected at the funeral.
There had been “massive media coverage” in India following Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
The death had saddened many in the country, especially in her hometown, with some people saying it was a tragedy that simply should not have happened.
Others have called for a fresh investigation to determine what led to her death.
Jacintha Saldanha left three suicide notes, her inquest last week revealed.
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Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after the royal hoax phone call, left a note telling the two Australian DJs behind the prank they were responsible for her death, according to sources close to the family.
In one of three apparent suicide notes, Jacintha Saldanha wrote a short letter in which she expressed her deep anger at radio presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian and blamed them for her tragic death.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged with a scarf at her accommodation at the King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where Kate Middleton was being treated for severe morning sickness.
It was revealed that one of the DJs telephoned the hospital back within an hour of the call and spoke to Jacintha Saldanha again, telling her they had played a prank which they were about to broadcast.
The revelation is believed to have left Jacintha Saldanha, who had no experience of dealing with the media, feeling confused and agitated.
DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian – who are believed to be at safe addresses following death threats – have apologized for the tragic repercussions of their prank. They pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles seeking information about Kate Middleton’s condition.
In another, one-page letter, Jacintha Saldanha criticized “aspects of the hospital staff”, and singled out two individuals for blame.
Although the hospital has repeatedly said no senior member of staff blamed Jacintha Saldanha for falling victim to the prank and provided her with support, it is understood she may have been reprimanded by colleagues by email.
Asked if Jacintha Saldanha received a “ticking-off” by senior colleagues, a family friend yesterday replied: “What do you think?”
The hospital has declined to comment on the notes, saying senior staff have not seen copies. It is believed the original notes are now in the possession of Scotland Yard, which has produced transcripts for the family.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after the royal hoax phone call, left a note telling the two Australian DJs behind the prank they were responsible for her death
Sources close to the family said their relationship with the hospital was strained as senior managers had not provided “facts” they have requested.
The hospital has so far not replied to several written questions the family handed to chief executive John Lofthouse at a meeting last Tuesday organized by senior Labour MP Keith Vaz. As a prominent Asian parliamentarian, Keith Vaz was approached by the family for help.
John Lofthouse was given the questions by Jacintha Saldanha’s husband Benedict Barboza, 49, an NHS accountant, their son Junal, 17, and daughter Lisha, 14. Yesterday, John Lofthouse attended a mass at Westminster Cathedral where prayers were said for Jacintha Saldanha. He was accompanied by other members of the hospital’s staff, many of whom were in tears.
One attendee said he overheard a hospital staff member tell the family: “I hope you get to the truth.”
Meanwhile, another friend of the family has revealed that Jacintha Saldanha may have tried to commit suicide more than once in the 72 hours between the prank and the moment her body was discovered by a colleague.
She may have attempted to slash her wrists before she died as a result of hanging herself with a scarf. The friend said: “She may have tried to kill herself more than once – that’s why there are three notes.”
An inquest on Friday was told police found marks on Jacintha Saldanha’s wrists.
Jacintha Saldanha usually called her family in Bristol every evening. But on the Thursday night following the hoax call in the early hours of Tuesday morning, she did not call or text her husband, leaving him concerned.
Benedict Barboza called the hospital early on Friday morning and asked a colleague to check on her. But apparently, the nurse failed to do that. Another colleague went to her room at 9:30 a.m. and found her body.
The news was broken to Benedict Barboza by police. At no point that day or subsequently did any member of the hospital staff visit the family to express their condolences, according to a family friend.
“They could have gone to break the news to the family but they didn’t do it,” the source added.
In her final letter, Jacintha Saldanha is believed to have asked to be buried in her home village of Shirwa, near Mangalore, in southern India.
The funeral will be held there on Monday. In a statement, the hospital said: “No one at the hospital has seen these notes so we cannot comment. However, we reiterate that Jacintha was an outstanding nurse… Hospital management offered her their support and told her they considered her the victim of a cruel hoax.
“They stood by her actions and made it clear there was no criticism of her and that there would be no disciplinary action of any kind.”
The body of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself after a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, is due to arrive in India for burial.
Jacintha Saldanha’s remains are being escorted by her husband and two children from the UK to Mangalore on Sunday.
The nurse was found dead on 7 December near the London hospital where the duchess had been treated for morning sickness.
Days earlier Jacintha Saldanha had answered a hoax call from Australia about Kate Middleton.
Her husband, Benedict Barboza, and their daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16, are flying to southern India to attend the funeral on Monday.
Jacintha Saldanha’s funeral will take place at Our Lady of Health Church in the town of Shirva, Karnataka.
Rev. William Menezes, spokesman for the Diocese of Mangalore, told AFP news agency that the funeral would take place at 16:00 local time (10:30 GMT).
Police said as many as 5,000 people were expected to attend, according to AFP, and security around the village has been tightened.
Jacintha Saldanha’s death has been closely followed in India, especially where she grew up.
The body of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself after a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, is due to arrive in India for burial
A candlelight vigil was held last week and her friends and family have been outspoken in their grief, some even demanding that a separate investigation be held to determine the cause of her death.
The hospital in Mangalore where she studied nursing has said it will create an award in her memory.
Her husband and children attended Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Sunday, where they paid tribute to Jacintha Saldahna.
In a joint tribute the children said: “We are shattered and there’s an unfillable void in our lives.”
“The house is an empty dwelling without your presence,” they added.
Benedict Barboza said: “Nineteen years of togetherness with a strong bond of affection and understanding will be cherished forever in my life. Your loss is a very painful one and nobody can take that place in my life ever again. I love you and miss you forever.”
On Thursday an inquest at Westminster’s Coroner Court heard that Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged. She left three suicide notes.
The hospital has said that senior managers tried to reassure Jacintha Saldanha “on a number of occasions” that no blame was attached to her for putting the hoax call from two Australian DJs through to the duchess’ ward.
Jacintha Saldanha’s children have described at a Mass at Westminster Cathedral the “unfillable void” she has left.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged days after answering a hoax call about Kate Middleton in accommodation attached to King Edward VII hospital last week.
Her husband, Benedict, daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16, attended a Mass at Westminster Cathedral.
In a joint tribute the children said: “We are shattered and there’s an unfillable void in our lives.”
“The house is an empty dwelling without your presence,” they added.
Catholics can request that a Mass be offered in the name of a dead person.
Memorial services have already been held at the hospital and in Bristol where her husband and children live.
Jacintha Saldanha’s funeral will take place at Our Lady of Health Church in the town of Shirva in Karnataka, India, on Monday.
In a tribute read out at the service, the children described their mother as “kind-hearted, generous and well-respected”.
They said: “You were the core of the family that kept us together. In times of difficulty, you showed us the way forward to happiness and success.
“Your priority for us was a good education and a bright future. You taught us right from wrong which we appreciate. You worked tirelessly to give us everything that we have today.”
Lisha Saldanha read out the following tribute after the service: “We love you Mum, sleep in peace and please watch over us until we meet again in Heaven. We will always love you and keep you close to our hearts.”
Jacintha Saldanha’s funeral will take place at Our Lady of Health Church in the town of Shirva in Karnataka, India, on Monday
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead eight days ago in London.
She had answered a call on 4 December from two Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and the Prince of Wales wanting to speak to the pregnant duchess who was being treated for acute morning sickness.
Her husband, Benedict Barboza, said in his tribute: “My wife, you were the light in my darkness, who always showed me the way forward. From the day we met, you always stood by me in times of hardship and happiness. I feel a part of me has been ripped out.
“Without your beautiful smile and sparkling personality, the house is an empty place to live. Nineteen years of togetherness with a strong bond of affection and understanding will be cherished forever in my life. Your loss is a very painful one and nobody can take that place in my life ever again. I love you and miss you forever.”
Benedict Barboza thanked everybody who had offered support and comfort, including Prime Minister David Cameron, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and MPs Keith Vaz and Charlotte Leslie.
On Thursday an inquest at Westminster’s Coroner Court heard that Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged. She left three suicide notes.
The hospital has said that senior managers tried to reassure Jacintha Saldanha “on a number of occasions” that no blame was attached to her for putting the hoax call through to the duchess’ ward.
In a letter to MP Keith Vaz, which was released by the hospital on Friday evening, chief executive John Lofthouse explained the protocol in place for dealing with calls to “high-profile” patients.
“Part of our procedure is to take the name and number of the individual and call them back. This is in order to verify that the call is genuine. We also empower our staff to use their judgement.
“On this particular occasion, Jacintha believed that the call was genuine, and she felt it appropriate to put the call through. We stand by her judgement.”
The hospital has insisted that Jacintha Saldanha was not facing disciplinary proceedings – “because she had been the victim of a cruel trick.”
The letter also said she had been offered time off but she said she would prefer to continue working.
“Neither ourselves, her friends or family noticed anything to give cause for concern,” John Lofthouse said.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse found dead following a hoax call to the hospital treating Kate Middleton, criticized senior colleagues over her treatment in one of three suicide notes, it has emerged.
An inquest heard that Jacintha Saldanha, 46, left three emotional suicide notes following the prank call by Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian.
But it has emerged today that in one of the notes she has criticized colleagues at the King Edward VII hospital over her treatment following the controversial call.
It is believed Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide note has left her grieving family furious, with husband Ben Barboza understood to want an inquiry into the hospital.
He is also believed to want an independent investigation into what happened in the days leading up to the death of his wife, for whom student nurses in Bangalore, India, held a candlelit vigil overnight.
The nurses, who were seen walking the streets holding candles and reciting prayers in tribute to the mother of two, demanded an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death.
“It is very unfortunate for a nurse, who was in a peak of her career had to die in a very bad way from the royal prank played by some foolish people,” said one attendee named as Ravi.
“This nurse was traumatized so much that she could not face anybody and committed a suicide. We pray for her soul to rest in peace and her family to come out of the incident.”
A nurse named as Vijaylaxmi said at the march organized by a local politician: “We are here to pray for nurse Jacintha’s family, so my kind request is that proper investigation has to be done and it is a major issue, we cannot leave this issue.”
A vigil in memory of Jacintha Saldanha was organized by a local politician in Bangalore
Speaking to the Daily Mirror about Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide notes, a source close to the family said: “One of the letters, which is the longest, deals with the hospital and is critical in its tone.
“Needless to say, Ben wants a full inquiry into what happened and he wants to make sure the truth comes out. Within the letter, Jacintha calls into question some of the treatment she received at the hospital.”
In another note, Jacintha Saldanha describes how she struggled to come to terms with the prank call by the two Australian DJs. The third and final letter is practical and deals with her funeral plans.
The body of the mother-of-two was discovered in her room in staff quarters last Friday. Two of the notes were found nearby and a third was among her possessions.
Jacintha Saldanha had also sent a number of emails and made telephone calls that police believe might help explain what happened.
During a five-minute hearing at Westminster Coroner’s Court yesterday it was revealed that attempts were made to revive the nurse but they were “to no avail”.
Detective Chief Inspector James Harman said: “Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly she was found hanging.
“There were also injuries to her wrist. The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene. At this time there are no suspicious circumstances.”
Scotland Yard detectives are examining the notes, as well as interviewing Jacintha Saldanha’s friends, family and colleagues at London’s King Edward VII hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse fooled by a hoax call to the London hospital treating Kate Middleton, was later found hanged, an inquest has heard.
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead in her nurses’ quarters on Friday, three days after the call from Australian radio presenters pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
There were also injuries to her wrist, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard.
The inquest was opened and adjourned until March 26th.
Detective Chief Inspector James Harman told the court: “On Friday 7 December Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly she was found hanging.
“There was also injuries to her wrist. The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene. At this time there are no suspicious circumstances.”
Two notes were found in Jacintha Saldanha’s room and another among her possessions, the court was also told.
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead in her nurses’ quarters on Friday, three days after the call from Australian radio presenters pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, transferred the telephone call, made to the King Edward VII’s Hospital on 4 December, to a colleague who then gave a detailed update on the duchess’s condition to the hoaxers.
Kate Middleton, who is in the early stages of pregnancy, was receiving treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to Jacintha Saldanha – a wife and mother-of-two – and offered condolences to her family.
“She clearly loved her job, loved her work and cared deeply about the health of her patients and what has happened is a complete tragedy,” David Cameron said.
“There will be many lessons that need to be learnt.”
Australia’s media watchdog has launched a formal inquiry into the hoax call, focusing on the licence-holder for 2Day FM radio station, Today FM Sydney Pty Ltd.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will consider whether the licensee complied with its license conditions and the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice.
Station owner Southern Cross Austereo has said all profits from advertising for the rest of the year will go into a fund for Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
The two presenters, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, have said they are “gutted and heartbroken” over the death.
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The Australian media watchdog has launched a formal inquiry into the hoax call to the London hospital, where Kate Middleton was being treated, after nurse Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on Friday, three days after taking the call from Australian radio station 2Day FM.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will focus on the 2Day FM license holder and not directly on the presenters who made the prank call.
It will be examining if “broadcasting obligations” were breached.
On Wednesday, speaking in the Commons, UK Prime Minister David Cameron called Jacintha Saldanha’s death a “complete tragedy” and said lessons needed to be learnt.
Jacintha Saldanha had taken a call from presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, at the King Edward VII’s Hospital, where the duchess was being treated for severe morning sickness.
ACMA said its investigation would look at the compliance of 2Day FM’s licensee, Today FM Sydney Pty Ltd, with its license conditions and the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice.
ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said: “The ACMA’s formal regulatory relationship is always with the relevant licensee, and not the presenters of any broadcast in question. The ACMA will be examining whether the licensee has complied with its broadcasting obligations.”
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will focus on the 2Day FM license holder and not directly on the presenters who made the prank call
Under Australia’s Broadcasting Services Act, radio and television licensees have primary responsibility for ensuring that the material they broadcast reflects “community standards”.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, answered the call from the 2Day FM presenters in the early hours of the morning on 4 December and, believing them to be members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse who gave a detailed update on the duchess’s condition.
She was found dead three days later at staff accommodation close to the hospital.
Southern Cross Austereo, which owns 2Day FM, said all profits from advertising on the station for the rest of the year would go into a fund for Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
MP Keith Vaz, who met Jacintha Saldanha’s family in Parliament on Monday night, has called on the hospital where she worked to hold a full inquiry.
He has also written to Southern Cross Austereo’s chief executive Rhys Holleran, expressing concern that the company had “not taken any steps to assist the family”.
“There has been no written apology, no request for a meeting with the family and no attempt to travel to the United Kingdom to express contrition,” he wrote.
Scotland Yard said the results of a post-mortem examination on Jacintha Saldanha would be released on Thursday morning at an inquest into her death.
The death is not being treated as suspicious and the inquest hearing in London is expected to be opened and adjourned as inquiries are continuing.
The two presenters involved in the hoax call, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, have said they are “gutted and heartbroken” over the death of Jacintha Saldanha.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently took her own life following the royal hoax call scandal, left a note for her family, it emerged yesterday.
Jacintha Saldanha had not told her husband or children that she was involved in the incident, meaning the letter may provide their only clue to what prompted the respected nurse to take such a drastic and tragic step.
A post-mortem examination was held yesterday on the body of Jacintha Saldanha, who was the first unwitting member of staff at the King Edward VII Hospital in London, where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness, to take the call made by two Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
Jacintha Saldanha passed them on to a second nurse on Kate Middleton’s ward, who was then duped into giving out details of her medical condition
The results of the post-mortem examination are not yet known, and an inquest is due to be opened this week.
Family spokesman, Labour MP Keith Vaz, said yesterday Jacintha Saldanha’s family were demanding answers from the hospital about the circumstances that led to her death.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently took her own life following the royal hoax call scandal, left a note for her family
Although bosses at the hospital in Marylebone have said they will conduct internal inquiries, the nurse’s family – husband Ben Barboza, 49, and children Junal, 17, and Lisha, 14 – “want to know everything”.
Keith Vaz, who has met hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur to demand a full inquiry, said: “What the chairman of the hospital said to me was that there are inquiries going on in the hospital.
“That is not sufficient for the family. There are unexplained circumstances. The family want to know everything. All the facts, fully and clearly.”
Keith Vaz added: “The hospital needs to be more pro-active, a full inquiry is needed and the family need to be included in that.
“They are a lovely close-knit family, a Catholic family who will be spending their first Christmas without their mother, and for Ben, without his wife.”
Ben Barboza, an NHS accountant, and his children live in Bristol.
Jacintha Saldanha, whose body was found in the hospital’s staff accommodation she used during the week, returned to the family home at weekends.
She had been expected home as usual last Friday when police broke the news of her death.
Keith Vaz said: “They [the family] were in the dark about the hoax call. They hadn’t watched the news or seen anything about it. They didn’t know they were involved until after Jacintha’s death.”
Bosses at the Australian radio station, 2Day FM, have also been under pressure to explain why they gave the go-ahead for the prank.
The company which owns the station, Southern Cross Austereo, yesterday cancelled its staff Christmas party and said it would donate the rest of the year’s advertising revenue – 500,000 AUD – to a memorial fund set up in Jacintha Saldanha’s name by the hospital.
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2Day FM, the Australian radio station whose DJs made a hoax call to nurse Jacintha Saldanha who was later found dead, is to give at least 500,000 AUD to a fund for her family.
Sydney broadcaster 2Day FM said it would donate the money from its advertising profits.
Jacintha Saldanha transferred the call to a colleague who gave information about Kate Middleton, who was a patient at the London hospital.
Her post-mortem examination is to take place later.
Jacintha Saldanha answered the Australian presenters’ call in the early hours of the morning on December 4th and, believing they were members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse, who gave an update on the duchess’s condition in detail.
Kate Middleton was being treated in the King Edward VII’s Hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was pronounced dead on Friday morning at staff accommodation close to the hospital. An inquest into her apparent suicide is due to be opened in the next few days.
The company which owns the station, Southern Cross Austereo, said all profits from advertising on 2Day FM for the rest of the year would be donated to an appropriate memorial fund that would directly benefit the family, with at least 500,000 Australian dollars being donated.
Rhys Holleran, SCA’s chief executive, said: “We are very sorry for what has happened. It is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts continue to be with the family.
“We hope that by contributing to a memorial fund we can help to provide the Saldanha family with the support they need at this very difficult time.”
It also cancelled its Christmas party, saying it would be “inappropriate” to go ahead.
2Day FM, the Australian radio station whose DJs made a hoax call to nurse Jacintha Saldanha who was later found dead, is to give at least 500,000 AUD to a fund for her family
Lord Glenarthur, chairman of King Edward VII’s Hospital, welcomed the media company’s decision and said it could contribute to the hospital’s own memorial fund.
He added that it had received many donations from around the world.
Jacintha Saldanha’s family made a private visit to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where she worked, on Monday.
MP Keith Vaz, who met Jacintha Saldanha’s family in Parliament on Monday night, said they had been left “devastated” by the loss of “a loving mother and a loving wife”.
Flanked by Jacintha Saldanha’s husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children, Keith Vaz said: “They just want me to say that they are extremely grateful to the public here in the United Kingdom and throughout the world who have sent them messages of condolences and support following the death of Jacintha.
“This is a close family. They are devastated by what has happened. They miss her every moment of every day, but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness.”
Keith Vaz had earlier criticized the hospital for not giving the family more support.
He said: “The hospital has sent them a letter, which I have seen, but I’m surprised that nobody has made the journey to Bristol to sit with them and offer them the counselling that I think they need.”
In response, the hospital said its chief executive, John Lofthouse, had spoken to Benedict Barboza on Friday by phone and offered to meet him whenever he wanted.
The hospital has launched a memorial fund to support the nurse’s family and a private memorial service will be held later this week.
In the hoax call, the presenters, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, had pretended to be Prince Charles and the Queen asking about the duchess in hospital.
They said in a tearful interview with Australian television broadcast on Monday that they were “gutted and heartbroken” Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
Christian said: “It was something that was just fun and light-hearted and a tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected.
“We are shattered, heartbroken and our deepest sympathy goes to the family, friends and all those people affected. Mel and myself are incredibly sorry for the situation and what’s happened.”
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton has cancelled an appearance at the premiere of the Hobbit on Wednesday. Her office says she will continue to “rest privately” at home. Prince William is due to attend.
Kate Middleton was being treated in the hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian, the Australian radio hosts at the centre of Kate Middleton hospital hoax, say they are “gutted and heartbroken” over the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha.
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on Friday, three days after taking the hoax call.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian wept as they said “not a minute goes by where we don’t think about her family”.
They had pretended to be members of the Queen and Prince Charles asking about Kate Middleton, who was being treated in hospital for acute morning sickness.
In an interview for Channel Nine’s A Current Affair programme Michael Christian told presenter Tracy Grimshaw: “When we thought about making a call it was going to go for 30 seconds we were going to be hung up on, and that was it. As innocent as that.”
Mel Greig said: “We thought a hundred people before us would’ve tried it. We thought it was such a silly idea and the accents were terrible and not for a second did we expect to speak to Kate let alone have a conversation with anyone at the hospital. We wanted to be hung up on.”
The pair said they heard about Jacintha Saldanha’s death in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“It was the worst phone call I’ve ever had in my life,” said Mel Greig.
Asked what his immediate reaction had been, Michael Christian wept and said: “Shattered, gutted, heartbroken and obviously you know. Our deepest sympathies are with the family and the friends.”
Mel Greig said: “There’s not a minute that goes by where we don’t think about her family and what they must be going through, and the thought that we may have played a part in that is gut-wrenching.”
Michael Christian added: “Prank calls are made every day, on every radio station in every country, around the world and they have been for a long time and no-one could’ve imagined this to happen.”
They were also interviewed for Channel 7’s Today Tonight programme and Mel Greig said of the moment she heard of Jacintha Saldanha’s death: “Unfortunately I remember that moment very well because I haven’t stopped thinking about it since it happened and I remember my first question was <<Was she a mother?>>”
Mel Greig and Michael Christian say they are gutted and heartbroken over the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha
Michael Christian said there was “no malice” in the prank call and “no harm intended” to the nurses, to the duchess or to Prince William.
Mel Greig said they had expected to be hung up on and she said: “The accents were terrible. You know it was designed to be stupid. We were never meant to get that far from the little corgis barking in the background – we obviously wanted it to be a joke.
“If we played any involvement in her death then we’re very sorry for that. And time will only tell.”
Mel Greig said she would give evidence at the inquest if she was required and she played down questions about her and Michael Christian’s career.
Asked about whether she felt there was a “witch hunt” against them, she said: “There’s nothing that can make me feel worse than what I feel right now. And for what I feel for the family. We’re so sorry that this has happened to them.”
Kate Middleton was taken to King Edward VII Hospital in central London last Monday, suffering from an extreme form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.
Jacintha Saldanha had answered the presenters’ call and, believing they were members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse, who described the Duchess of Cambridge’s condition in detail.
She was pronounced dead on Friday morning at staff accommodation close to the hospital. An inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s apparent suicide is due to be opened in the next few days.
Earlier the presenters’ employer, Sydney radio station 2DayFM, said at least five attempts were made to obtain the permission of the two nurses involved before airing the call.
The radio station said it was going to review its broadcasting practices.
In an interview with a Melbourne radio station 3AW, Rhys Holleran – whose company Southern Cross Austereo owns 2DayFM – said his staff had tried several times to make contact with Jacintha Saldanha and another nurse at the King Edward VII’s Hospital to get their permission to use the prank conversation before it was transmitted.
Rhys Holleran said the death of Jacintha Saldanha was “tragic” and “regrettable”, but that it “could not have been foreseen”.
Some legal experts in Australia have said if the radio station did not tell the nurses they were being recorded, or received their permission to broadcast the conversation, they may be in breach of a number of laws.
Jacintha Saldanha’s husband, Ben Barboza, wrote on his Facebook page: “I am devastated with the tragic loss of my beloved wife Jacintha in tragic circumstances.”
The family was being comforted by relatives and friends at their home in Bristol, where they were visited by Labour MP Keith Vaz on Sunday.
He said the family are “grief stricken and shocked” at Jacintha Saldanha’s death and were grateful to the hospital for establishing a memorial fund in her name.
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Australian radio station 2Day FM at the centre of the UK royal hospital hoax death says it is going to review its broadcasting practices.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead three days after putting through a call that gathered details of pregnant Kate Middleton’s condition.
The hoax call was made by DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who have been taken off air and are being counseled.
Neither have commented but do want to speak to the media, a spokeswoman said.
The board of Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the radio station, 2Day FM, met on Sunday to discuss a highly critical letter from the hospital which was the victim of the prank call.
Southern Cross Austereo chairman Max Moore-Wilton promised in a letter to the chairman of King Edward VII’s Hospital that the company would co-operate with any investigation.
He said: “We are all saddened by the events of the last few days. They are truly tragic.
“It is too early to know the full details leading to this tragic event and we are anxious to review the results of any investigation that may be made available to us or made public.
“We can assure you that we will fully cooperate with all investigations.
“As we have said in our own statements on the matter, the outcome was unforeseeable and very regrettable.
“I can assure you we are taking immediate action and reviewing the broadcast processes involved.”
Kate Middleton’s hoax call was made by DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who have been taken off air and are being counseled
An inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s apparent suicide is due to be opened in the next few days.
She was pronounced dead on Friday morning at staff accommodation close to the hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha had answered the presenters’ call and, believing they were members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse, who described the Duchess of Cambridge’s condition in detail.
There has been a strong reaction both in the UK and Australia towards Mel Greig and Michael Christian since the death of Jacintha Saldanha, and both have been receiving counseling.
Both deleted their Twitter accounts and were taken off the air, but a Southern Cross Austereo spokeswoman said they had “expressed a desire to speak”.
“We haven’t ascertained when they’re ready for that and how we’re going to organize that, but they certainly want to,” the spokeswoman said.
The nurse’s family was being comforted by relatives and friends at their home in Bristol.
In a statement last night, Jacintha Saldanha’s family said they were “deeply saddened” by the death and asked for privacy.
Meanwhile, Prince William will not attend the British Military Tournament in London later on Sunday.
A St James’ Palace spokesman said the prince had opted instead to spend Sunday privately with Kate Middleton, who had been in hospital with an extreme form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.
Benedict Barboza, the grieving husband of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who died in a suspected suicide near King Edward VII Hospital, has tonight told of his devastation at her death.
Benedict Barboza, a 49-year-old hospital accountant, also known as Ben, posted a tribute to Jacintha Saldanha on his Facebook page.
Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, had been manning the hospital switchboard when the Australian hoaxers called and she transferred the call to Kate Middleton’s ward.
The boss of 2Day FM radio station at the centre of the royal hoax call today refused to sack the DJs behind the stunt and painted them as victims.
Benedict Barboza, the grieving husband of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who died in a suspected suicide near King Edward VII Hospital, has tonight told of his devastation at her death
Rhys Holleran, the chief executive of Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the station, said the presenters were “completely shattered” and had been offered counseling.
2DayFM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian were taken off air after it emerged nurse Jacintha Saldanha who took their prank call at Kate Middleton’s hospital had died in a suspected suicide.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha died on Friday in an apparent suicide after she transferred a hoax call from Australian DJs who retrieved sensitive information about Kate Middleton while in King Edward WII Hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, also known as Jess, is thought to have come to the UK from southern India ten years ago and settled in the UK with her partner, 49-year-old hospital accountant Benedict Barboza.
The couple bought their £123,000 three-bedroomed home in 2005 in the Westbury-on-Trym district of Bristol.
After registering as a nurse in 2003 when she initially worked for the North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay and Southmead hospitals, it is believed the nurse chose to apply for a job at King Edward VII four years ago and appears to have been living in the nursing accommodation ever since.
Jacintha Saldanha died on Friday in an apparent suicide after she transferred a hoax call from Australian DJs who retrieved sensitive information about Kate Middleton
She has a son called Junal, 16, and daughter, believed to be 14. She stayed in London when she was working before returning to her family on days off.
Jacintha Saldanha is thought to have been from the Mangalore region of India. She is thought to have spent time in the Middle East before moving to Britain.
The hospital said Jacintha Saldanha had not been disciplined over the call.
The death of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who took a hoax call about the Duchess of Cambridge, was a “tragedy”, Australian 2Day FM radio station which broadcast it has said.
Rhys Holleran, chief executive of the company that owns Sydney radio station 2Day FM, said DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian were “completely shattered” by the death of Jacintha Saldanha, 46.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian posed as the Queen and Prince Charles in a call on Tuesday morning.
The station later suspended adverts, and the show has been taken off-air.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne, Rhys Holleran, chief executive of Southern Cross Austereo, said he did not think any laws had been broken.
This was in contrast to a statement on Tuesday by hospital chief executive John Lofthouse, who said he had “received advice that what the Australian broadcasters did may well have broken the law”.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian telephoned the hospital early on Tuesday morning, and recorded the call. It was then assessed by the station’s lawyers before being broadcast on 2Day FM.
Jacintha Saldanha, a duty nurse, answered the phone because it was 05:30 GMT and there was no receptionist on duty.
She put the pair through to Kate Middleton’s nurse, who unwittingly revealed details of the pregnant duchess’s medical condition.
The duchess had been admitted on Monday for acute morning sickness, and was discharged on Thursday.
Rhys Holleran told journalists that Mel Greig and Michael Christian’s show would not be returning until further notice.
He said: “This is a tragic event that could not have been reasonably foreseen and we are deeply saddened by it.”
But he added: “I think that prank calls as a craft in radio had been going on for decades. They are done worldwide and no-one could reasonably have foreseen what happened.”
The network later suspended all advertising on 2Day FM until Monday.
The decision was meant as a sign of respect, although with several advertisers, including Australia’s largest supermarket chain, already pulling their adverts, it was more like damage limitation and to avoid further bad publicity.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian are taken off air following Jacintha Saldanha’s death
Before the death, the country’s media watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, had received complaints about the broadcast. Chairman Chris Chapman said: “These events are a tragedy for all involved and I pass on my heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased nurse in London.
“The ACMA does not propose to make any comments at this stage, but will be engaging with the licensee, Today FM Sydney, around the facts and issues surrounding the prank call.”
In a statement, Jacintha Saldanha’s family said they were “deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha”. They have requested privacy from the media.
On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said in a statement they were also “deeply saddened” by the death of Jacintha Saldanha, a duty nurse who was married with two children.
And King Edward VII hospital paid tribute to “a first-class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients”.
Jacintha Saldanha – who was staying in hospital accommodation close to hospital – was the person who answered the call from the DJs and was not the nurse who discussed the duchess’s medical condition.
She had not been suspended or disciplined by the hospital.
However, she had felt “very lonely and confused” as a result of what had happened.
Jacintha Saldanha, also known as Jess, is thought to have come to the UK from southern India more than ten years ago and settled in the UK with her partner, 49-year-old hospital accountant Benedict Barboza.
The couple bought their £123,000 three-bedroomed home in 2005 in the Westbury-on-Trym district of Bristol.
After working for the North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay and Southmead hospitals, it is believed the nurse chose to apply for a job at King Edward four years ago and appears to have been living in the nursing accommodation ever since.
She has a son called Junal, 16, and daughter, believed to be 14. She stayed in London when she was working before returning to her family on days off.
The St James’s Palace statement said the duke and duchess “were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time”.
A palace spokesman later added that “at no point did the palace complain to the hospital about the incident”.
“On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times.”
Scotland Yard said officers were called at 09:35 GMT on Friday after reports of a woman found unconscious at an address in Weymouth Street, central London. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who transferred a prank phone call from two Australian radio presenters about Kate Middleton, has died in a suspected suicide – two days after being duped.
Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, who was working on the switchboard when 2DayFM obtained intimate details about Kate Middleton, was found dead near the King Edward VII Hospital today.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and a Palace spokesman said the couple had not made a complaint about the prank call.
“Their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time,” a statement said.
When asked if they had expressed concern, the spokesman added: “On the contrary we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times.”
The Palace declined to say whether the Duchess met Jacintha Saldanha but it was very possible.
The King Edward VII Hospital, which was not believed to be disciplining the nurse over incident, said it announced her death with “very deep sadness”.
Their statement added: “Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well respected and popular with all over her colleagues.”
Jacintha Saldanha answered the hoax call at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning and transferred the call through to Kate Middleton’s ward.
Another nurse then told the giggling DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, how the Duchess was about to “get freshened up”.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are deeply saddened by Jacintha Saldanha’s death and the couple had not made a complaint about the prank call
The station apologized for “any inconvenience caused” but provoked widespread fury and disbelief by continuing to continuing to promote its hoax, calling it “the prank call the world is talking about” before playing clips of the recording.
As the backlash grew Mel Greig and Michel Christian both deleted their Twitter accounts.
The emergency services were called and two ambulances were dispatched to the central London residence today.
But paramedics were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her family, husband and two children have been informed.
The hospital said this afternoon: “It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha.
“Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII’s Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.
“We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time.”
John Lofthouse, Chief Executive at King Edward VII’s Hospital, added: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends. Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much loved and valued colleague.”
Lord Glenarthur, Chairman of King Edward VII’s Hospital, says: “This is a tragic event. Jacintha was a first class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients during her time with us. She will be greatly missed.”
Officers from Scotland Yard launched an investigation yesterday and are treating the death as “unexplained”.
The exact cause of death remained unclear. However, one source indicated that the woman appeared to have killed herself.
A former neighbor of tragic nurse Jacintha Saldanha yesterday described her as a “nice, lovely lady”.
The neighbor lived next door to Jacintha Saldanha, her two sons and partner Benedict Barboza – know as Ben – at an address in Bristol several years ago.
Even today Michael Christian was urging people to tune in to their show to hear more about #royalprank.
