Schumacher medical records theft suspect found hanged in his cell
A MAN arrested on suspicion of stealing seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher’s medical records was found hanged in his cell in Switzerland yesterday.
The unnamed man worked at air rescue company Rega, who transported Schumacher from a French hospital to one in Lausanne in June, and had denied any wrongdoing.
Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm declared that the German driver’s files had been “clearly stolen” earlier this summer, amid suggestions that they were being offered to media outlets across Europe for £40,000.
Prosecutors last month indicated that a computer based at Rega, which had been granted access to Schumacher’s files, was the source of t he leak. The company denied any wrongdoing.
Swiss officials said initial investigations suggested that nobody else had been involved in the suspect’s death in police custody in Zurich. He had been arrested on Tuesday and was due to appear in court yesterday.
Schumacher, 45, suffered serious brain injuries and was left fighting for his life after crashing while skiing at speeds of up to 60mph in the French Alps in December.
He was brought out of an induced coma in June and flown by Rega to be treated at a Swiss clinic.
Schumacher retired from motor racing for the second time in 2013, having made a comeback three years earlier. He won seven F1 drivers’ championships, including five in a row with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004.