WA: Rose hastened Hancock's death: expert

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2001
WA: Rose hastened Hancock's death: expert

The West Australian coroners court has been told ROSE PORTEOUS' enjoyment of other
male company and the unsuitable foods she fed her husband LANG HANCOCK were likely to
have hastened his death.

Heart attack expert PETER SLEIGHT also told coroner ALASTAIR HOPE that had Mr HANCOCK's
mini-hospital been better equipped he could have recovered from his heart attack.

Mr HOPE is hearing evidence at the inquest into the death of Mr HANCOCK on March 27,
1992, in a makeshift hospital set up in the grounds of his Perth mansion.

The tycoon's daughter GINA RINEHART is alleging the actions and behaviours of her former
stepmother ROSE amounted to wilful murder.

Professor SLEIGHT, formerly from the University of Oxford, told the court he stands
by a report he wrote last year which concluded Mrs PORTEOUS' behaviour had probably hastened
Mr HANCOCK's death.

AAP RTV lk/sd/jas/jn

KEYWORD: HANCOCK (PERTH )

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