Double-murderer on death row is killed by her own food

A Japanese woman on death row for murder choked to death on prison food.

Miyuki Ueta, who was convicted for double murder and robbery over the deaths of two men in 2009, lost consciousness at the Hiroshima Detention Centre on Saturday evening, just four days after she was hospitalised for exactly the same reason.

Staff tried to remove the food from her throat before she was rushed to hospital but the former bar worker died, The Japan Times reported.

Ueta drugged truck driver Kazumi Yabe, 47, in the sea in 2009 and then killed Hideki Maruyama, 57, six months later by drugging him with sleeping pills and drowning him in a river.

She owed money to both and claimed she was innocent but she was sentenced to death in 2012 based mainly on evidence that Ueta was the last person to see both men before their disappearances, and the fact she had bought sleeping pills just before their sudden deaths.

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An appeal on her case was overruled by the Supreme Court in 2017.

Judges said the defendant carried out 'cruel crimes based on firm intentions to kill'.

The son of murder victim Hideki Maruyama said he was "surprised" by her sudden death.

He told NHK: "It's been 14 years since my father died, and I'm surprised that a death row inmate died in this way. Since then, I think it's been taking too long without being executed.

"Every day I put my hands on my father at the Buddhist altar in my house, and tonight I'd like to put my hands together and report today."

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