A 74-year-old paedophile has been found dead in his prison cell less than three weeks after being sentenced for a string of historic child sexual offences. Paul Withnell, from Powys, Wales, was discovered unresponsive in his bed at Parc prison in Bridgend on February 5, an inquest has heard.
Withnell had been jailed for 21 years last month after being convicted of multiple offences dating back to the 1980s, including four counts of rape, six counts of gross indecency, and eight counts of indecent assault against a girl under 16. He also pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of a child.
During sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Eugene Egan said Withnell had shown “not one single shred of remorse” for his crimes, which caused “unspeakable hardship, misery and upset”. The judge noted that Withnell had been left with “little choice” but to admit to making indecent images after police found 132 photos of his victim.
A post-mortem examination was conducted at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, but a provisional cause of death has been recorded as “pending further investigation”. Coroner Andrew Morse said the date of the full inquest would be fixed once investigations are complete.
Withnell’s cellmate found him unresponsive, and despite efforts, he could not be revived. The 74-year-old had no previous convictions but suffered from poor health, according to his defence barrister Hywel Davies.
