Former detective jailed for murder found hanged in cell

Peter Foster’s death at Lewes Prison in East Sussex comes just three days after a man who knifed his controlling stepfather to death was found hanged at the same jail.

Foster, a 36-year-old former detective constable, was jailed for life and told he must serve at least 17 years at Lewes Crown Court last month after admitting murdering his partner.

Foster stabbed Detective Constable Heather Cooper, 33, before dumping her body in Blackdown Woods, near Lurgashall, West Sussex, in October last year.

Foster’s death comes after Nathan Vaughan-Jones, who stabbed his stepfather to death after a long-running family feud boiled over, was found hanged at the same prison on Friday night.

The 34-year-old had been jailed for 11 years in March after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of 63-year-old Nigel Ross on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Vaughan-Jones stabbed Mr Ross 41 times in the garden of his sister’s home in Mill Lane, South Chailey, near Lewes, East Sussex, on March 29 last year.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: “HMP Lewes prisoner Peter Foster was found hanging in a cell at 3am on Monday, July 30.

“Prison staff tried to resuscitate him and paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead at 3.25am.

“As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation.”

It is understood Foster was subject to suicide-prevention measures at the jail.

Miss Cooper was killed at the couple’s home in Haslemere, Surrey, while she was on maternity leave with her second child, who was born just weeks prior to her death.

The court heard that Foster claimed Miss Cooper had attacked him and he initially acted in self-defence but then his actions turned to aggression.

The hearing was told he hit her over the head 10 times with a baseball bat before stabbing her in the throat.

Miss Cooper, who grew up in York, joined Surrey Police in 2003 and worked in the Public Protection Investigation Unit based at Guildford police station.