A MAN was found hanged in his North-East prison cell only days after he was charged with killing his girlfriend.

The discovery of 34-year-old Andrew Maguire's body in Durham Jail came as a further twist in the investigation into Vicki Reay's killing.

Detectives investigating 19-year-old Ms Reay's murder in Priestlands Crescent, Hexham, Northumberland, are preparing a file for the coroner on both deaths.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "An inquiry is under way into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man found dead in a cell at around 3.30pm on Thursday."

It is understood Mr Maguire caught a taxi from the murder scene, where Ms Reay was found strangled with a bed-sheet in bed on Sunday.

He travelled to Newcastle and is believed to have approached officers in a police patrol car in the city.

Officers then went to the scene and forced entry to the house, where they found her body. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been strangled.

Mr Maguire had a previous conviction for causing grievous bodily harm with intent and assault after he drove his car over a man and dragged him along for half a mile.

He was cleared at Birmingham Crown Court in 1994 of attempted murder and was given a ten-year jail term for the incident, which took place in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

He appeared at Hexham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with the murder of Vicki Reay. He was remanded in custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court for a plea and directions hearing on Tuesday.

Alison Wilkinson, on behalf of the Crown, asked magistrates to remand Mr Maguire in custody because of the seriousness of the offence, his previous convictions and failure to answer bail.

Magistrates heard that Mr Maguire was due to appear before them that day on another offence.

He was brought back in court to answer a charge of failing to appear on bail after he was remanded for attempted burglary. Mr Maguire was granted bail at an earlier court hearing, but failed to return to court as ordered on August 24.

Magistrates decided to hear the details of the original offence, and Mr Maguire pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted burglary.

Police yesterday launched an inquiry into his death.

A spokesman said: "At this stage, there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances."

A Home Office pathologist from Durham's University Hospital is due to carry out a post-mortem examination today, and the Durham Coroner, Andrew Tweddle, has been informed.