Murderer dies in jail after refusing medical help

A WOMAN from West Yorkshire, who was serving a life sentence for murder, died after she refused medical treatment, an inquest has heard.

Anne-Marie O'Driscoll, from Halifax, was jailed for a minimum of 16 years in 2004 for murdering Valeriano Gonzales-Munana, who she tortured with her son Anthony O'Brien.

She was serving her sentence at New Hall women's prison in Wakefield and died on November 20 2008 at Pinderfields Hospital, aged 55.

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Coroner David Hinchliffe told an inquest at Leeds Coroner's Court that a post-mortem examination found O'Driscoll's cause of death was a complication of many medical conditions that stemmed from "diverticular" disease which affected her bowels and intestine.

"This condition had nothing to do at all with when she was in prison.

It's entirely coincidental that she had problems in her personal life that necessitated her to be in prison. She has died as a consequence of her medical conditions and would have died had she been in prison or not," Mr Hinchliffe said.

Returning a verdict of death by natural causes, a jury said it was satisfied the actions of medical and prison staff did not contribute to her death.

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The inquest heard evidence from Dr Mark Rogers, general and colorectal surgeon at Pinderfields, who first treated O'Driscoll in August 2004 for a colostomy hernia after an operation in Liverpool and who continued to treat her up to her death.

In a statement read by the coroner, he described the varied health complaints O'Driscoll suffered from: wearing a colostomy bag followed by an ileostomy bag; urinary tract infections; a bowel fissure at the closure of the ileostomy wound; and pelvic sepsis.

Mark Judd, an investigator for the Prison and Probation Service, said his inquiries following the death of O'Driscoll found no staff at New Hall did anything to contribute to it and they should be commended for their actions with a woman who was difficult and demanding.

Closing the inquest, Mr Hinchliffe said O'Driscoll's death was "very sad and unfortunate" and added: "I know there are no members of family in court but I offer my personal and belated condolences in losing Anne-Marie in this way."