By James Simons-
A report has been released into the death of a former school chaplain and church minister who took his own life in prison just days after he was jailed for child sex offences.
The report says there was a “missed opportunity” to consider his risk factors.
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An inquest, held last month, concluded Taylor’s death was due to suicide.
Robert Taylor, 52, of Bowling Park Drive, West Bowling, Bradford, died at HMP Leeds on August 17, 2020 – five days after he was jailed at Bradford Crown Court.
The pervert pleaded guilty to 17 charges, including six counts of orally raping children, sexual assault of children under 13 and sexual activity in the presence of a child.
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He voluntarily walked into Bradford’s Trafalgar House Police Station and confessed to his offending history, despite the fact there had been no complaint and no evidence.
Judge Jonathan Rose sentenced Taylor to an extended prison sentence of almost 22 years. The custodial term was 14 years and nine months with an extended licence period of seven years.
The judge branded Taylor “a perverted sexual predator” and labelled his offending as “heinous, wicked and evil”. Judge Jonathan Rose told Taylor also described his crimes were “disgusting perverted behaviour”.
An independent investigation by the Prisons & Probations Ombudsman recently looked into the circumstances of Taylor’s death.
The report said it was Taylor’s first time in prison and he arrived with “depression, anxiety and fleeting thoughts of suicide due to his situation”.
When he was transferred to Leeds Prison, Taylor said he felt low because of the long sentence he had received but that he had no thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
The report concluded that prison staff placed too much emphasis on Taylor’s “calm, polite behaviour” before his death.
The report states: “We are also concerned that there is no evidence that staff had any meaningful contact with Mr Taylor during the five days he spent at Leeds.
“The Covid-19 regime restrictions meant that he spent around 23 hours a day alone in his cell and that his induction was delivered by an officer standing outside his cell.
“His key worker who should have seen him, did not do so and made a false entry saying that he had seen him.
“We are concerned that staff did not give sufficient weight to Mr Taylor’s risk factors and placed too much emphasis on his calm, polite behaviour and his assertions that he had no suicidal intentions.
“We consider that staff at Leeds, who did not know Mr Taylor at all, should have recognised that he was vulnerable because of his long sentence, the nature of his offences, and his anxiety and depression.”
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