A sex offender was discovered unconscious in his prison cell just under three weeks after being sentenced for his abhorrent crimes.
Today, an inquiry into the unexpected passing of Paul Withnell commenced. Withnell, a resident of Powys in Wales, was found unresponsive in his prison cell after being imprisoned for historical sexual assaults.
According to Wales Online, last month, Withnell was handed a 21-year prison term for a series of child sexual offenses dating back to the 1980s. The 74-year-old was found unresponsive by his cellmate in Bridgend’s Parc prison on February 5, as revealed in Pontypridd coroners’ court.
After a post-mortem at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, the cause of death was marked as “pending further investigation.”
A judge at Cardiff Crown Court remarked that Withnell displayed no remorse before sentencing him for crimes committed between 1981 and 1990, when he was aged between 30 and 39.
Residing in Broad Street, New Radnor, Presteigne, Withnell admitted to one charge of producing indecent images of a child but contested other accusations. Following an eight-day trial, he was found guilty of multiple sexual offenses involving underage girls.
The judge emphasized that Withnell had essentially confessed to the image-related offense after authorities uncovered 132 photos. Withnell, who had no prior criminal record and faced health issues, was handed a 21-year imprisonment term, with the judge stating, “You caused unspeakable hardship, misery and upset and decades of emotional pain,” with two-thirds of the sentence to be served in custody.
Coroner Andrew Morse mentioned that a date for the inquest would be arranged after ongoing investigations.
