Paedophile dies in prison five years into 17-year sentence

A pensioner jailed for subjecting three young girls to decades of sexual abuse has died in prison just five years into his 17-year sentence.

Christopher Tatton, 77, from Llandyfriog near Newcastle Emlyn, passed away at HMP Rye Hill in Warwickshire on 28 February 2025. A prison ombudsman report confirmed he died from sepsis triggered by a chest infection.

The former Newcastle Emlyn resident was convicted in February 2020 of 23 counts of indecent assault following a retrial at Swansea Crown Court. His crimes spanned two decades during the 1980s and 90s, with his youngest victim being just five years old.

Tatton denied the allegations throughout, forcing his three victims to endure the trauma of giving evidence and being cross-examined during two separate trials. The first trial in September 2018 ended with the jury unable to reach verdicts, but he was convicted at retrial 18 months later.

The abuse wasn’t reported to police until two decades after it occurred. In victim impact statements, the women described how Tatton’s actions had devastated their lives.

One victim revealed she developed such severe anxiety that she was forced to abandon her university studies. The abuse had damaged her relationships with men and affected both her work and sleep.

Another woman said the trauma had been “in the back of her mind” for as long as she could remember and had “formed the person she is today”. The third victim explained she struggled with relationships but had “found a way to live and maintain relationships”.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas QC condemned Tatton’s actions, telling him: “You put your twisted sexual urges before their right to grow up in a proper way. You ruined their childhood and their adulthood to a large extent.

“When they came forward you decided to brazen it out to save your own skin. You made them go through two trials where they were called liars.

“The psychological impact on these three women, as they are now, has been profound.”

The ombudsman investigation into Tatton’s death found he received clinical care of a “good standard” whilst in prison, equivalent to what he would have received in the community. This conclusion came despite concerns raised by his family about the treatment he received.

However, the report identified failings in record-keeping. Some paperwork wasn’t completed, including a NEWS2 assessment used to monitor patient deterioration. The report also noted that sepsis wasn’t considered or recorded between 23 and 24 February when Tatton became acutely ill.

The ombudsman has recommended that the head of healthcare conduct a training needs analysis regarding assessment of acutely ill patients, including proper use of NEWS2 assessments.