THE inquest into the death of Leo Barnes, who was on trial for murdering Halesowen grandmother Cynthia Beamond, has ruled he died of suicide.

Leo Barnes was found hung in his cell at HMP Hewell covered in cuts on January 25.

At the 33-year-old's inquest at Worcestershire Coroner's Court at Stourport it was revealed he had told his legal team he wanted to die but nurses at the prison did not think he was on the verge of killing himself.

He was days away from the end of his at Wolverhampton Crown Court for the murder of 80-year-old Halesowen grandmother Cynthia Beamond and another pensioner, Philip Silverstone, in London.

The jury had heard how he had battered the Halesowen grandmother to death and then drove to London to kill Mr Silverstone.

Barnes defence was that he had been framed by foreign drug dealers, however, when he died West Midlands Police announced they were not looking for anyone else.