22 Oct 2008

Jail inmate in Niue takes his own life

12:04 pm on 22 October 2008

A Niue jail inmate about to be sent to New Zealand for a mental health assessment has died in jail.

Police Chief Ross Ardern says the man committed suicide.

He says the man was due to be sent to New Zealand this week as required under his sentence for assault.

The man, who had returned to live on the island earlier this year, was to be sent on last week's flight to Auckland but had escaped custody.