The pre-inquest review into the death of shamed former celebrity publicist heard how his family raised concerns over his treatment in Littlehey Prison
Max Clifford’s family raised concerns about the treatment of the disgraced former celebrity publicist weeks before his death, a pre-inquest review heard on Thursday.
The 74-year-old PR mogul was convicted of eight indecent assaults on girls aged 15 to 19 between 1977 and 1985.
He was jailed in May 2014 but died in Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on December 10 last year.
Clifford, from Hersham, Surrey was jailed to serve an eight-year prison sentence but died before he made it half way through.
An inquest was opened and adjourned on December 21 last year after a coroner confirmed that there would be an investigation into the PR mogul’s death after he collapsed in Littlehey Prison.
Clifford’s daughter Louise Clifford, told the inquest review over the phone that the family took issue over the communication and treatment in the run up to her fathers death.
Max Clifford with daughter Louise outside Southwark Crown Court in April, 2014, after he was charged with 11 counts of indecent assault
Clifford was an inmate at HMP Littlehey, Perry, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire during his sentence but collapsed twice and eventually died
Hinchingbrooke Hospital, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, where Max Clifford died in December 2017 after falling ill in prison
She said: ‘Broadly speaking in generalities, it was just an incredibly slow process.
‘It was just an uphill struggle to get anything resolved.
‘We did not get a diagnosis until the day he died and this had been going on since July.
‘If we had got a diagnosis earlier then we good have had a better prognosis and we could have started treatment far earlier.
‘I was on the phone to the cardio secretary at Hinchingbrooke three times per week if not more, trying to find out when an MRI would happen.
‘On the day I he collapsed I spoke to the nurse and she was very friendly and told me he was on her radar now.
‘There was a lack of communication and it was just slow- there was someone dying.’
Louise Clifford has complained about the treatment of her father in Littlehey Prison where he collapsed before he died in hospital
Miss Clifford told the inquest that her father had been complaining about his inadequate living conditions only weeks before he died.
‘I accept that he died of natural causes but there were matters that exacerbated his condition. Being cold, lack of heating- the shock of the shower.
‘He complained for weeks and weeks to me that it had become impossible to shower adequately.
Clifford’s former GP Ann Coxon, who treated him since 2003 was present at the hearing and has been instructed to produce a statement for investigation.
Assistant Coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Simon Milburn told the hearing in Huntingdon: the central issue is likely to be the treatment that Mr Clifford received in various location
‘I will instuct an expert cardiologist to conduct a review into this case for the full inquest and I will look to resume this case sometime in September or October.’
Max Clifford, a former PR guru and historic sex offender died in Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire while serving an eight-year prison sentence
It has not been confirmed if a jury will be required for the inquest.
Mr Milburn recorded that Clifford had been suffering from Amaloidosis, a condition that causes a protein to build up within body organs that can ultimately lead to heart failure.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Clifford’s death would be investigated by the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsan.
Clifford’s arrest followed the launch of Operation Yewtree by the Met Police on the back of the Jimmy Saville sex abuse scandal.
Clifford had suffered from illness for some time while locked up and had suffered from a heart attack.
He had collapsed twice since being jailed in 2014.
Miss Clifford said that he had collapsed in his cell while trying to clean and after collapsing again the next day, he was taken to a critical care unit.
At the height of his career, Clifford was Britain’s best-known celebrity publicist and worked with celebrities to shape their public image, including Freddie Starr, O.J. Simpson, Simon Cowell, Gillian McKeith, Rebecca Loos and Jade Goody.
The date of the full inquest will be announced.