Pensioner who blackmailed young gay teenagers into sex died in Leyland prison from this rare condition

Gerard Browne was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for sexual offences in June 2017. During his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, it was reported that Browne raped one boy from the age of 13 and threatened to post revealing photos of him to his parents if he refused sex in a campaign of abuse.

It has been announced this week that Browne, from Prescot, died in hospital of pneumonia and colovesical fistula (an abnormal connection between the colon and bladder which can cause recurrent urinary tract infections) on January 19, 2024, while a prisoner at HMP Wymott near Leyland. He was 85 years old.

A Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) investigation was carried out into his death, to check whether there were any areas of concern. They did not find any non-clinical issues of concern.

NHS England commissioned an independent clinical reviewer to review Browne’s clinical care at Wymott. A report states that the clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care Mr Browne received at Wymott was equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community. However, she identified some areas for learning.

The report states: “She found that healthcare staff missed an opportunity to discuss Mr Browne at a complex care needs multidisciplinary meeting following his discharge from hospital in December 2023. She also found that more could have been done to assess Mr Browne’s risk of malnutrition and dehydration.”

Recommendations

Several recommendations have been made. These include:

- The Head of Healthcare at Wymott should ensure that patients with multiple healthcare needs are discussed at the multi professional complex case conference meeting

- The Head of Healthcare should ensure that all healthcare staff undertake a MUST assessment when a person is weighed and ensure any concerns are escalated with immediate effect.

- The Head of Healthcare should ensure that all healthcare staff undertake a risk assessment when an adult presents with risk factors that make them at increased risk of dehydration and ensure that a plan of care is in place.