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Strangled nurse had HIV, court hears
By
Elliot Furniss
A ZIMBABWEAN nurse who was murdered at her Essex home was HIV positive,
it emerged on Tuesday after her killer was handed a life sentence.
Ella Chimweta, 32, arrived in the UK from Zimbabwe looking for the chance of a better life and was working at Colchester General Hospital when she was murdered 13 months ago.
Although Chimweta's HIV status and that of her killer, 30-year-old Daniel Tambengwa, was never revealed to the jury at Chelmsford Crown Court, the issue was discussed at hearings held in front of Judge Christopher Ball QC.
He decided the fact was not relevant to the case and should not be raised in proceedings.
The hospital is run by Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and last night a spokesman would not say when details of Miss Chimweta's condition became known to managers, whether patients knew that she was HIV positive or whether any patients had undergone HIV checks.
In a statement Denise Hagel, hospital nursing director, said she “could not comment” for “reasons of confidentiality” - even though Miss Chimweta was dead - but that “patient safety was not compromised.”
“However, patient safety is of paramount importance to this organisation and we have stringent pre-employment policies and protocols in place to ensure that the highest levels of protection are given,” she continued.
Hagel added that Chimweta's colleagues were shocked and saddened to learn of her death and that the trust wished to extend its condolences to her family and friends at this very difficult time.
A spokeswoman for The Patients Association said the trust should release more details to reassure members of the public.
“It is extraordinary that they are not saying more about this,” the spokeswoman said. “A nurse is not someone who works locked away in a cupboard. A nurse comes into direct contact with patients and she could go anywhere in the hospital.
“And people who have been treated at the hospital will have concerns quite naturally and they should be given all the information they need.
“The more I think about it the more it makes you suspect that they didn't know about this and that they are terrified about what the reaction might be.”
On Tuesday, a jury of eight men and four women found Tambengwa, described as “arrogant” by police, guilty of murder after a five week trial.
Throughout the process the trainee scientist denied killing Miss Chimweta after a row at their flat in the Highwoods area of Colchester last July.
The court was told he fled to Cameroon after concealing her body but returned to the UK in September after talking to Essex detectives.
Just weeks before
Chimweta was killed, the couple began caring for an 11-year-old girl,
who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
- EADT24
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