Deborah Parry, a British nurse convicted of the murder of an Australian colleague in Saudi Arabia, has been taken to hospital suffering from depression.

Miss Parry, 39, from Alton, Hampshire, was transferred to the hospital in Damman prison on Tuesday in a move which her family think will "enable her to get stronger".

Parry has been in jail for the past 13 months and there have been growing concerns about her ability to cope.

Her brother-in-law, Jonathan Ashbee, said: "She has been hospitalised for assessment and counselling and we are pleased that action has been taken by the Saudis.

"The doctor found he couldn't provide her with what she was looking for and felt she needed more assistance.

"They will be reviewing her medication to find out if they can do anything better for her."

Parry and Lucille McLauchlan were arrested in December 1996 after the murder of 55-year-old Yvonne Gilford.

After a lengthy trial, judges decided that McLauchlan was guilty of playing a part in the murder of Miss Gilford, whose body was found in her room at the King Fahd Military Medical Complex where all three women worked.

In September she was sentenced to eight years in prison and 500 lashes, a move which sparked outrage in Britain.

Parry has not yet been sentenced. The threat of a possible death sentence was lifted after Miss Gilford's family agreed to waive their right to demand it.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "Deborah Parry is continuing to find it difficult to cope with life in prison and the prison doctor has decided to admit her to hospital for observation as a precautionary measure.

Mr Ashbee said he was pleased that the Saudi authorities had noticed the decline in Miss Parry's health but wanted to see her.

"We hope to go out and see her but it's Ramadan (the Islamic holy month) at the moment but the counsels are trying to organise something bearing that in mind."
 

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