Gary Glitter, 82, is reportedly on his "last legs" amid reports he is so frail he can barely walk around his prison cell. The disgraced pop star, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, is held at HMP Channings Wood in Devon, where fellow inmates have claimed he is "deaf" and subject to numerous alert systems.
Emergency plan in place
Gadd is said to be on a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), used for inmates who cannot use regular emergency exits unaided. PEEPs can be created for prisoners who are elderly, have a disability, sensory loss or mobility impairments.
"Peep's are created for our cons who are in the most ill heath," a source said, reports the Daily Star. "Basically if there was ever a fire or emergency evacuation officers would have to carry him out - that's how bad he is. He can't hear either - and all officers have been made aware of that on an internal system."
Declining health
A source previously said: "Most people would struggle to recognise him now. He seems to be on his last legs, with his body giving up. And if he doesn't get parole soon most officers and inmates think he will see out his days in jail."
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told the Mirror that it cannot comment on individual cases. According to the source, Gadd has appeared weaker in recent weeks.
The source continued: "He has been due at court a couple of times this year, but it has to be via videolink as there is no way he can do the journey. The truth is his body is packing up, and all that arrogance he came in with has now gone. He just looks like a frail old man."
Prison status and allegations
Gadd is said to be listed as an Enhanced Level prisoner, meaning he gets more privileges but barely leaves his cell. It is part of the UK prisons' Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme, given to prisoners who have demonstrated good behaviour. Eligible prisoners can wear their own clothes and have a television in their cell, among other rewards.
But an insider said he is seen as "arrogant in prison and most inmates don't like him." They said: "He has to be kept on a VPU (Vulnerable Prisoner Unit) as it is not solely a jail for sex offenders. He is kept out of harm's way because he would not be safe on another wing, but he is spending up to 23 hours a day in his cell."
Gadd appeared in court this month over allegations he sexually abused a girl when she was between eight and 11. He is alleged to have given her chocolate and invited her into his home in Kensington and Chelsea, west London, between 1978 and 1981. It is alleged he touched his genitals and "engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse" with her. The disgraced singer has denied the eight allegations against him.
Gadd was originally sentenced to 16 years behind bars for sexually abusing three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980. He was released on licence in early 2023 but was recalled to prison just a few weeks later after breaching licence conditions - including downloading images of children. The parole board refused release following a paper review in June last year.
