New Hall murderer 'refused to shield' from Covid threat, report finds

A report into the death of Sarah Swinhoe by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said she had asthma and a chronic lung disease which put her at high risk of complications from Covid.

After initially agreeing to shield at the prison in Flockton near Wakefield, she then refused to from August 2020, according to the report.

The report read: "Ms Swinhoe’s health conditions meant she was in the category for those at high risk of developing complications from Covid-19 and she was therefore advised to shield.

"Although she initially agreed, she refused to shield from August 2020 onwards."

She felt unwell and tested positive for Covid on February 7 last year.

On February 15, a nurse found she had low blood oxygen saturation but Swinhoe refused to go to hospital.

A second nurse requested an emergency ambulance and she again refused to be taken by paramedics.

Her health deteriorated on February 23, when a nurse discovered she had a left-sided facial droop, a right sided weakness and was not able to hold her body up.

She also continued to have low blood oxygen saturation, a high respiration rate, a high pulse rate and low blood pressure.

Swinhoe was unable to speak in full sentences and was responsive to voice only. She died in hospital later that day.

The ombudsman's report noted that it appeared she contracted Covid at HMP New Hall.

The report went on: "The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care that Ms Swinhoe received at New Hall was good and equivalent to that which she could have expected to receive in the community."

Sharon Swinhoe was found guilty in 2013 of murdering her boyfriend Peter McMahon, 68.

A retired civil servant, he was last seen alive on 18 October 2012 when he took a taxi to her flat.

His dead body remained in a freezer for six weeks during which time Swinhoe made multiple withdrawals of cash from his bank account.

Swinhoe was described as having no remorse by the prosecution at her trial at Newcastle Crown Court in 2013.

Swinhoe received a minimum 25-year jail term for murder but served less than ten years as Covid 19 caused her to die of multiple clots that obstructed the blood flow to her organs in March last year.