Inquest opens into prison death of mum who murdered her newborn baby with scissors
17.08.2023 - 14:15
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
An inquest has opened into the death of a mum who murdered her newborn baby after telling her boyfriend she had miscarried. Rachel Tunstill died in HMP Styal in Cheshire on August 1.
The 32-year-old was jailed for life after killing Mia Kelly in the bathroom of her home and dumping her body in a bin. She was first convicted for her daughter's murder in June 2017 and handed a life sentence.
But that conviction was quashed the following year by the Court of Appeal. At the time, judges ruled that lesser charges should have been considered. But following a retrial, Tunstill was again found guilty of murder in February 2019, when she was handed another life sentence.
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The Prison Service confirmed earlier this month that Tunstill, who was housed at HMP Styal had died. An inquest was formally opened into her death at Cheshire coroner's court yesterday (August 16).
The brief hearing was told that Tunstill, of Burnley, died of natural causes, but as she died while in custody an inquest is required, the Knutsford Guardian reports. Senior coroner for Cheshire Jacqueline Devonish set an inquest date for January next year.
Tunstill was ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years in prison following her last sentencing. Liverpool Crown Court heard Tunstill had given birth while her unsuspecting boyfriend played computer games in the next room in January 2017.
She told him she was having a miscarriage and asked him for scissors before stabbing Mia 14 times just after she was born, it was said.
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