A MAN who was found dead in his prison cell had been suffering from a form of heart disease, a court has heard.
Anthony Nolan, 49, had been serving a life sentence for murder at Kingston Prison in Portsmouth. A jury at an inquest into his death heard how he was found dead on the morning of December 22, 2009.
The previous day he complained of chest and arm pains and had asked to see a nurse. But the healthcare department was running a clinic and nurses told Mr Nolan that his symptoms didn’t raise any concern and he could return later.
When he returned, he was verbally aggressive and nurses declined to treat him at that time. During the rest of the day he didn’t return to see a nurse. He was discovered dead the following morning.
Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said Mr Nolan had been suffering from a form of coronary artery disease called atheroma.
‘There was evidence of narrowing of the arteries that had taken place over a long period of time,’ he said.
‘The death of Anthony Nolan was clearly as a result of natural disease. Death could have occurred at any time.’
The inquest continues.