Murder accused John Heald,53, was found hanged in his prison cell while waiting for the jury to reach a verdict . A man on trial accused of murdering a guest house landlady  committed suicide in his prison cell while waiting for the jury's verdict, a court heard. John Heald was accused of killing Bei Carter whilst on the run for allegedly raping another woman. The 53-year-old joiner was found dead in his cell  at Hull Prison after being sent there overnight  while the jury were still considering their verdicts. They had been deliberating one charge of murder and three charges of rape for just two hours at Hull Crown Court. Judge Jeremy Richardson QC discharged the eight men and four women from their duty after the nine day trial. 'Ladies and gentlemen, I am now in a position to put you fully in the picture,' he said. 'The defendant committed suicide last night. I was advised this morning and I have heard some evidence about it in your absence to confirm that he is deceased. 'You are thus discharged of course from any further deliberation in this case and an appropriate order will be made. 'I can see from your faces that comes as quite a shock. It came as a shock to me this morning.' Earlier Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Baldwin confirmed he had attended Hull Prison at around 10.40am and there would now be a separate investigation into the death. 'I can confirm that he is deceased having hung (sic) himself during the night.' The trial heard Heald stabbed Mrs Carter in the chest and stamped on her face before locking her body in a bedroom at the Morayland Hotel, in Bridlington. He was then said to have gone on-the-run from the police. Police searching the guest house after Mr Carter found his wife's body discovered the landlady's room keys under the mattress in the room where Heald had been staying as a guest. Heald checked into the hotel the previous day after going on the run earlier following allegations that he had raped a woman that he knew in Sheffield, the jury were  told. John Heald, pictured left in a police image, was on trial for the murder of hotel landlady Bei Carter . The court heard he raped the woman several times at knifepoint at her home on July 13 last year. He told the jury the sex was consensual. Heald, from Rotherham, admitted killing Mrs Carter but said it was an accident. He was arrested in Rotherham on July 25, a week after Mrs Carter's death. Bei Carter was found stabbed to death at the Morayland Hotel in Bridlington on July 18 last year . Giving evidence in his own defence he told the jury he was in a state of panic when he returned to the guest house after overhearing two men in the pub who appeared to recognised him from a police appeal about the sex attack. 'I did not intend to stab her,' he said. 'I did not realise the knife had stabbed her. I thought she was still breathing.' The court was told Heald had a number of previous convictions dating back over 30 years. He was jailed for six months aged 22 in 1983 for possession of an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour and assaulting a police officer. He was fined for threatening behaviour when he was 23 and aged 24 was jailed for six months for burglary and for two counts of causing actual bodily harm. John Heald was jailed for six months in 1983 for possession of an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour and assaulting a police officer. He had further convictions for threatening behaviour in 1985 and severed his most recent prison sentence in 1992 for disorder. On July 13 last year the court heard Heald raped a woman several times at her home in Sheffield. He then went on the run from police. Just five days later on July 18, Bei Carter was found murdered at the Morayland Hotel, in Bridlington. A week after Mrs Carter's death on July 25 Heald was arrested by officers. His trial for alleged the murder of Mrs Carter and the rape of the other victim started at Hull Crown Court lasted nine days. The jury retired to consider their verdicts yesterday before being sent home after two hours deliberation. Heald was found hanged in his police cell at 5.50am by prison staff today. Judge hearing the case at Hull Crown Court discharges the jury. He had a further conviction for threatening behaviour in 1985 and served his most recent prison sentence in 1992 for disorder. Heald denied three counts of rape and one count of murder. Mrs Carter's husband, Terry, was said to be 'shocked and disappointed' that the trial would not conclude in a verdict. 'It's a difficult situation,' said Detective Chief Inspector Baldwin. 'My thoughts are with the victim of the sexual offences John Heald is alleged to have committed and of the family of Bei Carter, who will now not get closure from this process,' he said. 'I think, like myself and everyone else involved in the case, he (Mr Carter) is shocked and disappointed that he won't receive a conclusion to this trial. 'He has been here and listened to the evidence, he's very satisfied with the police investigation and he now needs to go away and consider the circumstances.' The detective said Heald's death ended the investigation into Mrs Carter's murder. He said: 'It was a complex investigation. I'm satisfied we did a thorough job of that. 'We brought the correct indictments to the crown court and that John Heald was responsible for the death of Bei Carter.'
John Heald, 53, was on trial for murder and rape at Hull Crown Court .
Jury had retired to consider their verdicts after a nine day trial .
Found dead in his cell at Hull Prison by guards just after 5am today .
Judge discharges jury  after saying defendant had committed suicide .
Police say his death closes the investigation into the murder of Bei Carter .
Murder accused John Heald,53, was found hanged in his prison cell while waiting for the jury to reach a verdict . A man on trial accused of murdering a guest house landlady  committed suicide in his prison cell while waiting for the jury's verdict, a court heard. John Heald was accused of killing Bei Carter whilst on the run for allegedly raping another woman. The 53-year-old joiner was found dead in his cell  at Hull Prison after being sent there overnight while the jury were still considering their verdicts. They had been deliberating one charge of murder and three charges of rape for just two hours at Hull Crown Court. Judge Jeremy Richardson QC discharged the eight men and four women from their duty after the nine day trial. 'Ladies and gentlemen, I am now in a position to put you fully in the picture,' he said. 'The defendant committed suicide last night. I was advised this morning and I have heard some evidence about it in your absence to confirm that he is deceased. 'You are thus discharged of course from any further deliberation in this case and an appropriate order will be made. 'I can see from your faces that comes as quite a shock. It came as a shock to me this morning.' Earlier Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Baldwin confirmed he had attended Hull Prison at around 10.40am and there would now be a separate investigation into the death. 'I can confirm that he is deceased having hung (sic) himself during the night.' The trial heard Heald stabbed Mrs Carter in the chest and stamped on her face before locking her body in a bedroom at the Morayland Hotel, in Bridlington. He was then said to have gone on-the-run from the police. Police searching the guest house after Mr Carter found his wife's body discovered the landlady's room keys under the mattress in the room where Heald had been staying as a guest. Heald checked into the hotel the previous day after going on the run earlier following allegations that he had raped a woman that he knew in Sheffield, the jury were told. John Heald, pictured left in a police image, was on trial for the murder of hotel landlady Bei Carter . The court heard he raped the woman several times at knifepoint at her home on July 13 last year. He told the jury the sex was consensual. Heald, from Rotherham, admitted killing Mrs Carter but said it was an accident. He was arrested in Rotherham on July 25, a week after Mrs Carter's death. Bei Carter was found stabbed to death at the Morayland Hotel in Bridlington on July 18 last year . Giving evidence in his own defence he told the jury he was in a state of panic when he returned to the guest house after overhearing two men in the pub who appeared to recognised him from a police appeal about the sex attack. 'I did not intend to stab her,' he said. 'I did not realise the knife had stabbed her. I thought she was still breathing.' The court was told Heald had a number of previous convictions dating back over 30 years. He was jailed for six months aged 22 in 1983 for possession of an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour and assaulting a police officer. He was fined for threatening behaviour when he was 23 and aged 24 was jailed for six months for burglary and for two counts of causing actual bodily harm. John Heald was jailed for six months in 1983 for possession of an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour and assaulting a police officer. He had further convictions for threatening behaviour in 1985 and severed his most recent prison sentence in 1992 for disorder. On July 13 last year the court heard Heald raped a woman several times at her home in Sheffield. He then went on the run from police. Just five days later on July 18, Bei Carter was found murdered at the Morayland Hotel, in Bridlington. A week after Mrs Carter's death on July 25 Heald was arrested by officers. His trial for alleged the murder of Mrs Carter and the rape of the other victim started at Hull Crown Court lasted nine days. The jury retired to consider their verdicts yesterday before being sent home after two hours deliberation. Heald was found hanged in his police cell at 5.50am by prison staff today. Judge hearing the case at Hull Crown Court discharges the jury. He had a further conviction for threatening behaviour in 1985 and served his most recent prison sentence in 1992 for disorder. Heald denied three counts of rape and one count of murder. Mrs Carter's husband, Terry, was said to be 'shocked and disappointed' that the trial would not conclude in a verdict. 'It's a difficult situation,' said Detective Chief Inspector Baldwin. 'My thoughts are with the victim of the sexual offences John Heald is alleged to have committed and of the family of Bei Carter, who will now not get closure from this process,' he said. 'I think, like myself and everyone else involved in the case, he (Mr Carter) is shocked and disappointed that he won't receive a conclusion to this trial. 'He has been here and listened to the evidence, he's very satisfied with the police investigation and he now needs to go away and consider the circumstances.' The detective said Heald's death ended the investigation into Mrs Carter's murder. He said: 'It was a complex investigation. I'm satisfied we did a thorough job of that. 'We brought the correct indictments to the crown court and that John Heald was responsible for the death of Bei Carter.'
53-year-old joiner was found dead in his cell  at hours at Hull Crown Court. Judge Jeremy women from their duty after the nine day trial. defendant committed suicide last night. I was investigation into the death. 'I can confirm that image, was on trial for the murder of hotel nine days. The jury retired to consider their court and that John Heald was responsible for the death of Bei Carter.'