A man accused of murdering his girlfriend won’t face justice for the crime after he choked to death on a plastic-wrapped chicken sandwich in jail.
Lance Michael Pearce was placed in custody at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in Sydney’s west last week after being charged on Tuesday night.
The 34-year-old was accused of strangling his partner Blair Dalton — the mother of his young son — to death in her Ettalong Beach home.
He was initially charged with suffocating Ms Dalton but after she died in hospital last Thursday, police said they would upgrade Pearce’s charges to murder.
That won’t go ahead after Pearce, barely 72 hours into his time in custody, was found dead inside his Silverwater jail cell.
Police are investigating the death as a suicide.
It is understood Pearce, from St Clair, was placed on suicide watch when he was admitted into jail.
After he was served breakfast on Friday morning, prison officers went to check on Pearce in his cell about 11am. More
