Royal hoax: Australian DJ apologises to Indian nurse Jacintha Saldanha's family

London: One of the two Australian DJs, who made a hoax call to a London hospital about Kate Middleton’s first pregnancy, today tearfully apologised to the family of an India-born nurse who committed suicide after the broadcast of the prank. Jacintha Saldanha, found hanged at a London hospital in 2012 days after receiving the hoax call from an Australian radio station about the Duchess of Cambridge’s first pregnancy, committed suicide, an inquest into her death has concluded. [caption id=“attachment_1710655” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Melissa Greig[/caption] One of the 2Day FM DJs, Melissa Greig, apologised to Saldanha’s family at the inquest, tearfully telling them, “I’m truly sorry, I have wanted to say that for so long.” After the coroner had given her conclusion, Grieg said through her lawyer that she wished to make a statement. In tears, she apologised to Saldanha’s family and to the other nurse, saying: “This tragedy is always going to stay with me as a constant reminder.” “To the second nurse involved, I am so deeply sorry for what you have had to endure. I pray you have found the strength to live on as best you can. I was always concerned about the wellbeing of both nurses and I wish I’d tried harder to stop that prank from being aired,” Greig said. Greig was in court for a second day despite not being called as a witness. Saldanha, originally from Mangalore in Karnataka, was found dead in the nursing accommodation of King Edward VII hospital days after staff were tricked into revealing details of Kate’s pregnancy to two Australian radio DJs – Greig and Michael Christian – posing as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles back in December 2012. The 46-year-old mother of two had answered the call and transferred it on to the duty nurse on the Duchess of Cambridge’s ward. Saldanha later wrote to the nurse, who had been looking after the Duchess on the night of the prank, to apologise for putting the call through to her. PTI