Paedophile who was one of UK’s oldest prisoners dies days before 99th birthday
Coronavirus has claimed the life of one of the UK’s oldest prisoners.
Christopher Stowe, who abused a girl between the ages of three and five, died shortly before he was due to turn 99 on Christmas Day.
He had been warned by a judge that he was likely to die in jail when he was jailed last April by Judge Sarah Buckingham on historic charges dating back to the 1970s.
He tested positive for Covid-19 and succumbed to the illness on December 8.
He admitted indecent assault and gross indecency last year in attacks that made his victim feel worthless and dirty.
During the hearing, his solicitor Adam Western said: ‘He is a man reaching the end of his years, he no longer poses and risk or threat to anyone. He’s someone who has rehabilitated himself.
‘He is plainly not the same man who committed these serious offences over 40 years ago. His expressions of shame, remorse and contrition are genuine.
‘This is a physically and mentally frail man. Prison would bear down on him much harder than on other inmates.
‘He would be vulnerable to bullying, and it would bring down his already short life expectancy.
‘It’s likely any sentence of any length would mean his death in prison.’
Jailing Stowe, Judge Buckingham told him: ‘Of course I have had regard to your extremely mature age, and that there is a very real prospect you will end your days in custody.’
Stowe suffered heart failure in 2017, had poor eyesight and had been referred to a specialist because of suspected skin cancer.
Earlier this month he was moved from his cell at HMP Birmingham to St Mary’s Hospice in Selly Park in the city.
An inquest was opened and adjourned in Birmingham on Monday.
Britain’s current oldest prisoner is Ralph Clark, 104, who was jailed in 2015 for 13 years for attacks on a boy and two girls between 1974 and 1983.