Sex charge man killed himself; EX-COUNCIL WORKER WAS ACCUSED OF MOLESTING GIRLS

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Sept 13, 2008

Byline: By PETER TAYLOR

A FORMER council press officer killed himself before he was due to face trial on sex charges, an inquest was told.

Roger Neville, 66, from Corbridge, Northumberland, fled to the Aberdeen area of Scotland to escape his trial which was due to be held at Newcastle Crown Court in April this year.

He faced allegations of indecent assault against three girls under 16 between 1990 and 1995.

He had denied all of the charges and was expected to go before a jury.

The inquest at Hexham heard that Neville has previously tried to kill himself on two occasions.

A report from Scotland's Procurator Fiscal revealed that Neville turned up on March 22 in the accident and emergency department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to announce he had consumed 100 paracetamol tablets over a three-day period.

The former Northumberland County Council press officer was treated and placed in a ward.

Arrangements were made for him to be transferred to Edinburgh Infirmary for a liver transplant, but he refused to agree to it.

The inquest was told that as his condition worsened due to liver failure he become confused, but remained adamant he be treated for relief of pain only.

He collapsed on April 6 and died later the same day.

An inquest in England became necessary after he was cremated in Newcastle.

Recording a verdict of suicide, coroner Eric Armstrong said: "I am satisfied the appropriate verdict is that Roger Neville took his own life."

The report from the Procurator Fiscal said the cause of death was liver failure following a paracetamol overdose.

It also said Neville had been sectioned into Park Royal hospital in London after previously making two attempts to take his own life. Each attempt proceeded a forthcoming court appearance.

Neville, who once helped promote the Miss World Beauty pageant, joined Northumberland County Council as press officer in 1976.

He transferred to Newcastle City Council in 1980 and became an information and publicity officer.

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SUICIDE VERDICT: Roger Neville