Paedophile children’s entertainer Paul McKee attacked in prison

A children’s entertainer, now serving 30 years for raping and sexually abusing young girls, has been attacked in prison.

Magician Paul McKee, a Mormon, who was known professionally as Professor Paulos, suffered serious injuries after the assault which happened while he was on remand awaiting trial.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 57-year-old was struck just one blow in the face by another prisoner, Ryan Kenny, but it knocked him out before he hit the floor and he sustained more injuries on landing.

Kenny claimed to a prison officer that McKee, who had been sitting down, had just fallen over but when it was pointed out that he had witnessed the attack, Kenny said: “Well he shouldn’t fiddle kids then.”

McKee, formerly of Wallasey Village, Wirral, who had to be extradited from Thailand to face trial, suffered a broken jaw, fractured ribs on both sides, a fractured vertebrae and a collapsed lung.

29-year-old Kenny, of no fixed address, has 70 previous convictions and at the time of the attack was serving 28 months for offences including sexually assaulting a teenage college student while she was travelling on a bus.

Chris Hopkins, prosecuting, said that the incident happened at Altcourse prison in Liverpool about 8am on February 15 while McKee was using a kiosk to use email facilities.

“Kenny stood behind him and he was pestering him to hurry up and without warning punched him once to the right side of his face.”

Mr Hopkins said it was obvious from the CCTV footage that McKee had not seen it coming and had no chance to defend himself and he appeared to be unconscious before he hit the ground. Kenny walked off to his cell.

Kenny pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and his barrister Fiona McNeill explained, “something was said which he took exception to.”

This resulted in him reacting in the way he did and hitting him. He was aware of the allegations McKee faced and “saw him in a certain light.”

She said it was accepted that the case involved grave harm but it had been a spontaneous act involving just one punch.

Sentence: Sentencing Kenny to 18 months imprisonment Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said that he accepted it had been spontaneous and did not involve repeated blows.

He described his previous convictions and the fact it took place in a prison environment as aggravating factors.

Paul McKee was jailed in June for 13 sex offences involving seven victims and spanning almost 25 years.