Febuary 2009

Paedophile prisoner died from natural causes

A PAEDOPHILE sex offender serving a life sentence in a North-East prison has died from what police said appears to be “natural causes”.

Kevin Whelan, 67, who was serving the sentence for the sexual abuse of three young girls over several years, died in Durham’s University Hospital of North Durham, on Monday.

He was taken to the hospital from nearby Frankland Prison, where he was serving the sentence.

As with any death in custody or of a serving inmate coroner’s proceedings will be required and an inquest was opened into his death by deputy Durham coroner Brenda Davidson today.

Whelan, twice previously convicted for sex crimes, was branded “a danger to young girls” by Judge John Roberts when he imposed the life sentence at Bolton Crown Court in December 2001.

In the previous cases he received a six-year jail term for attempted intercourse with a girl under 13, in 1980, and a seven year sentence for rape and indecent assault, in 1987.

The course of abuse for which he received the life sentence emerged when an eight-year-old girl complained about his activities and the other two victims then also told police of their experiences at his hands.

When Whelan heard about the investigation he handed himself in to police.

Whelan, who lived in the Wigan area until his arrest, admitted 20 counts of indecent assault.

December 2001

Paedophile jailed for life

A PAEDOPHILE who sexually abused three young girls over several years has been jailed for life.

Sixty-year-old Kevin Whelan had already been convicted twice before for sex crimes and remained impassive as Judge John Roberts branded him a danger to young girls. It was not the first time the pervert had abused. In 1989, he was jailed for seven years for rape and indecent assault.

And in 1980 he received a six-year jail term for attempted intercourse with a girl under 13. The abuse was revealed when Whelan started to indecently assault an eight-year-old, who complained.

Then the other victims also told police what had happened. When Whelan heard about the investigation, he handed himself in to police. Whelan, who lived in the Wigan area until his arrest, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence yesterday. He had earlier admitted 20 counts of indecent assault. Charges of rape were dropped at a previous hearing.

Howard Bentham QC, defending, said Whelan’s guilty pleas had spared anyone giving evidence in court and added: ”He has told me that he hates himself for what he has done.

”He in no way believes the victims are in any way responsible for what happened.” Judge John Roberts said that had he not imposed a life sentence, he would have jailed him for 12 years.