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| Jacintha Saldanha inquest: radio station made four further calls | Jacintha Saldanha inquest: radio station made four further calls |
| (8 months later) | |
| An Australian radio station that made a prank call to nurses treating the Duchess of Cambridge during her first pregnancy made four further calls to the hospital, an inquest heard on Thursday. | |
| Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found dead in her nursing accommodation shortly after staff were tricked into revealing details of Kate's stay at London's King Edward VII Hospital in December 2012. Kate was being treated for acute morning sickness at the time. | Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found dead in her nursing accommodation shortly after staff were tricked into revealing details of Kate's stay at London's King Edward VII Hospital in December 2012. Kate was being treated for acute morning sickness at the time. |
| One of the DJs who made the prank call, Mel Greig, voluntarily attended the inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. | One of the DJs who made the prank call, Mel Greig, voluntarily attended the inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. |
| Her representative told the hearing that she was prepared to give evidence if it would assist the family. | Her representative told the hearing that she was prepared to give evidence if it would assist the family. |
| Fiona Barton QC, representing the hospital, said the additional calls were made from 5.30-6.00am shortly after the hoax, but their content was unknown. | Fiona Barton QC, representing the hospital, said the additional calls were made from 5.30-6.00am shortly after the hoax, but their content was unknown. |
| She told the hearing: "If she answered any of these calls – and there were four of them – then it can only have added to the stress she was under when she realised this was a prank call by a radio station." | She told the hearing: "If she answered any of these calls – and there were four of them – then it can only have added to the stress she was under when she realised this was a prank call by a radio station." |
| Barton went on: "We do not know if the calls were in fact answered. If they were answered by Jacintha Saldanha there is an issue as to what was said", as that could have further exacerbated the stress she felt. | Barton went on: "We do not know if the calls were in fact answered. If they were answered by Jacintha Saldanha there is an issue as to what was said", as that could have further exacerbated the stress she felt. |
| The lawyer said that if the calls were made in an attempt to obtain consent from the hospital to broadcast the prank then they would have been taped. | The lawyer said that if the calls were made in an attempt to obtain consent from the hospital to broadcast the prank then they would have been taped. |
| She added that no follow-up calls were made during working hours. | She added that no follow-up calls were made during working hours. |
| Maya Sikand, representing the radio station, told the hearing: "We cannot see now how this issue will assist the court in any way." She accepted that the station broadcast the prank call without consent. | Maya Sikand, representing the radio station, told the hearing: "We cannot see now how this issue will assist the court in any way." She accepted that the station broadcast the prank call without consent. |
| Greig tweeted before the hearing: "I made a commitment to the Saldanha family that I would answer any questions they have, on or off the stand, I'm here to uphold that promise." | Greig tweeted before the hearing: "I made a commitment to the Saldanha family that I would answer any questions they have, on or off the stand, I'm here to uphold that promise." |
| She has previously spoken of the backlash she experienced in the months following the death of the mother of two, including death threats. | She has previously spoken of the backlash she experienced in the months following the death of the mother of two, including death threats. |
| Her lawyer, Gerwyn Samuel, told the court: "My client is in court having come to this country voluntarily in order to assist in any way she can, primarily to uphold her promise to the family of Jacintha Saldanha to answer any questions they may have." | Her lawyer, Gerwyn Samuel, told the court: "My client is in court having come to this country voluntarily in order to assist in any way she can, primarily to uphold her promise to the family of Jacintha Saldanha to answer any questions they may have." |
| The family of Saldanha, including her widower, Benedict Barboza, and her two teenage children, Lisha and Junal, also attended the hearing, which is expected to last two days. | The family of Saldanha, including her widower, Benedict Barboza, and her two teenage children, Lisha and Junal, also attended the hearing, which is expected to last two days. |
| Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox reminded the court that "no one is on trial" at the inquest. | Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox reminded the court that "no one is on trial" at the inquest. |
| Saldanha was the first nurse to answer a call by Australian DJs Greig and Michael Christian, who pretended to be the Queen and Prince Philip for an on-air prank. | Saldanha was the first nurse to answer a call by Australian DJs Greig and Michael Christian, who pretended to be the Queen and Prince Philip for an on-air prank. |
| She passed them on to a second nurse on Kate's ward, who was duped into giving out details of her medical condition. | She passed them on to a second nurse on Kate's ward, who was duped into giving out details of her medical condition. |
| Saldanha's body was found on 7 December 2012, three days after she took the call. | Saldanha's body was found on 7 December 2012, three days after she took the call. |