RICHARD WEST AND SHOCKING SEX OFFENCES IN ANDOVER AND WINCHESTER PRISON

A man convicted of serious sexual offences and a former Royal Air Force officer, Richard West, passed away recently in Winchester following his incarceration, an inquest has confirmed. West, aged 74, died at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, just six months after being sentenced to prison for historic sexual misconduct.

Richard Adrian West was born on July 7, 1942, and previously resided on Armstrong Rise in Charlton. In June 2016, he received a prison sentence of five and a half years after being found guilty on six counts of historic indecent assault. The charges stemmed from allegations dating back to the 1970s involving two young girls. The legal proceedings followed a trial held in November 2015 at Salisbury Crown Court, where the jury reached a majority verdict of guilt concerning one of the victims. However, they were unable to reach a verdict regarding the second victim.

During the trial, it was explained that West initially faced a total of 11 charges related to historic sexual offences from the 1970s. The court’s findings confirmed his guilt on multiple counts connected to one of the victims, but the case concerning the second was unresolved due to insufficient jury agreement.

The court heard that Richard West had been largely confined to his bed since June 2016, indicating a decline in his physical health. Despite his frailty, West was capable of standing with the assistance of a Zimmer frame, highlighting his deteriorating health condition at the time of his death. The inquest, overseen by senior coroner Mr. Grahame Short, revealed that West died from natural causes on February 10, 2016, at Winchester Prison. The pathologist Dr. Basil Purdue attributed his cause of death to heart failure resulting from severe heart disease compounded by diabetes.

Officials confirmed that West was living in Winchester Prison when he died and that his passing occurred in the context of his frail health and his recent incarceration for the historic offences. The case underscores the lasting legal and emotional impacts of historic sexual abuse allegations, as well as the severe health issues faced by some offenders in the later stages of life.