Norman Heaton, a murderer who strangled his wife to death in 2001, has died behind bars at the age of 66. Heaton was serving a life sentence for the killing of Jacqueline Heaton, a mother of three, in South Shields. He died of bronchopneumonia at HMP Full Sutton in November last year, and an inquest has ruled that he died of natural causes.
The Murder of Jacqueline Heaton
In May 2001, Heaton tied his wife to a bed, wrapped a length of washing line around her throat, and pulled it to induce unconsciousness, claiming it was to provoke sexual excitement. He then hid her body under some stairs. Heaton claimed that the 32-year-old died when a sex game went wrong, but a jury at Newcastle Crown Court found that he had continued to pull the cord tighter, intending to kill her.
At the time, the couple's marriage had run into difficulty, and they planned to separate. The court heard that a jealous Heaton could not bear the thought of Jacqueline leaving him, so he strangled her. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 12 years.
Prison Care and Ombudsman Findings
An investigation by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman has now found that the prison delivered a good standard of care to Heaton, equivalent to what he could have expected in the community. Their report stated: "She (the clinical reviewer) found that the care Mr Heaton received whilst on the palliative care suite at Full Sutton was kind, compassionate, timely and appropriate. There was excellent multidisciplinary collaboration between the prison and external health services, and evidence documented within Mr Heaton’s medical records of timely referrals, DNACPR discussions and advance care planning."
The clinical reviewer made one recommendation not related to Heaton's death that the Head of Healthcare will need to address. The PPO investigator investigated non-clinical issues and found no concerns, making no recommendations.
Impact and Aftermath
Heaton's death closes a chapter on a case that shocked the community. Jacqueline's family have previously spoken of their loss and the justice served by the life sentence. The ombudsman's report confirms that Heaton received appropriate care in his final months, despite his crimes.
