THE inquest into the death of a HMP Hewell inmate, on trial for the bloody killing of two pensioners, has ruled he died of suicide.

Leo Barnes, from Balsall Heath, was found hanged in his cell at the Tardebigge prison between Redditch and Bromsgrove, covered in cuts on January 25 last year.

At the 33-year-old's inquest at Worcestershire Coroner's Court at Stourport it was revealed he had told his legal team he wanted to die but nurses at the prison did not think he was on the verge of killing himself.

He was days away from the end of his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court for the murder of 80-year-old Halesowen grandmother Cynthia Beamond and another pensioner, Philip Silverstone, in London.

The jury had heard how he had battered the Halesowen grandmother to death and then drove to London to kill Mr Silverstone.

Shortly before his death on Friday, January 23, he had been complaining of not feeling well – when he had been due to face cross-examination at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Barnes' defence was that he had been framed by drug dealers, however, when he died West Midlands Police announced they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the murders.

His demise sparked an investigation but the circumstances were not deemed to be suspicious.

Speaking in January on the news of Barnes' death, Cynthia’s daughter, Beverley Hadley, said: "We are devastated as a family that the man we believe is responsible for the brutal murder of my beloved mum is not going to face justice for this horrendous crime."

She added: "We have been deprived of those valuable final years of mum’s life and those precious moments with her to say our final goodbyes.

"She is missed by everyone who knew her and her loss has left a huge void. Our lives have been devastated and changed forever. As a family we are now suffering our own life sentence."

The five day inquest, which ended on Friday, October 21, recorded that Barnes committed suicide. The medical cause of death was listed as hanging.

A Prison Service spokesman said: "The safety and welfare of prisoners in our custody is fundamental to the proper functioning of our justice system and a vital part of our reform plans.

"We will consider the findings of the inquest to see what lessons can be learned in addition to those from the Prison and Probation Ombudsman's investigation."