A MAN accused of stabbing to death a mother-of-two has killed himself in his prison cell.

Nigel McLean is believed to have hanged himself with a bed sheet in Durham Prison, where he was being held on remand.

He was charged with the murder of 38-year-old Julie Mordue at her home in Vicars Croft, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, on April 21.

The 40-year-old was found hanged in his cell by prison staff at about 2.15pm on Saturday.

Warders and paramedics tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead an hour later.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said yesterday: “As with all deaths in custody, the prisons and probation ombudsman will conduct an investigation.”

Mr McLean was the former boyfriend of Mrs Mordue, who worked as a kitchen assistant at the Allertonshire School in Northallerton. However it is understood the couple split up two weeks before Mrs Mordue was stabbed to death.

When Mr McLean appeared at Teesside Crown Court via a videolink from Durham Prison on May 5, his wrists were heavily bandaged.

The court was told that neighbours in Vicars Croft had seen the two at the house on the afternoon of April 21.

Witnesses said they saw through glass panels in the back door that Mrs Mordue was being assaulted by her partner in the kitchen.

The court was told her screams could be heard on a 999 call made to the police – although it was not clear who made the call.

When police arrived at the house, they found Mr McLean with a knife in his hand, standing over Mrs Mordue, who was on the floor in the lounge.

He was covered in blood, and Mrs Mordue’s dying words to officers were: “He’s stabbed me, and he’s turned the knife on himself.”

Afterwards, Mr McLean needed treatment for bonedeep cuts to his arms.

Mrs Mordue left two children – Ian, 11, and Sophie, 15 – who are being cared for by her sister, Louise Russell.

The children’s father, Stuart Mordue, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Rochdale, five years ago at the age of 32.

Police broke the news of Mr McLean’s death to Mrs Russell, a sewing machinist and mother-of-three, at her home in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, on Saturday night. “They said he tore up a sheet and used it to hang himself,” she said. She said Mr McLean and her sister had been together for about two-and-a-half-years and said the relationship had been a violent one.

“He had been violent, both to Julie and the children,” she said. “When the children were told about his death they were quite shocked about it, but it means they will no longer have to be looking over their shoulders.”

Mr McLean’s parents live in Brompton, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, and were “very upset” by the news.

He had in the past worked for BT and had also spent time making parts for Land Rovers in Leeming, but was unemployed and of no fixed address at the time of his arrest.

Police said yesterday that their investigation was continuing, but was now on behalf of the coroner.

“The case file that was being prepared for the court will now go to the coroner to assist in his inquiries,” said a spokesman.