Lance Michael Pearce, 34, (right) choked to death on a chicken sandwich in custody after he allegedly suffocating and strangling his former partner Blair Dalton (left). Photo / Facebookl
Lance Michael Pearce, 34, (right) choked to death on a chicken sandwich in custody after he allegedly suffocating and strangling his former partner Blair Dalton (left). Photo / Facebookl
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, news.com.au reported.
Initial reports made to police were that Pearce choked on food items, plastic wrapping and possibly sugar sachets.
Multiple sources told The Sunday Telegraph that the inmate had choked on a chicken sandwich.
Pearce (pictured) was found unresponsive Friday morning in jail by prison staff, hardly spending three days in custody.
CCTV footage from inside the jail will help corrective services determine exactly what went wrong while it will come down to the coroner to definitively determine what Pearce choked on.
The death has baffled both police and prison sources, who say they have never heard anything like it.
Inmates are stripped of all their belongings when they are admitted into custody and issued with regulation clothing - often a green tracksuit - and supplies, like toiletries.
Items like shoelaces are banned to limit the risk of self-harm.
A Correctives Services spokeswoman said Pearce's death was not being treated as suspicious.
"The Corrective Services Investigation Unit, which is part of the NSW Police Force, is investigating and will prepare a report on the death," the spokeswoman said.
"All deaths in custody are referred to the NSW Coroner."
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