Aneurysm killed paedophile prisoner

Saturday 18 January 2020

A "ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm" took the life of a prisoner in Guernsey last year, a Court inquest has concluded.

Sean Dougherty, 51, died on the Delta Wing of the States Prison on Sunday 1 September, just after collecting his dinner tray at 16:15.

As he was walking back to his cell with the food, he stumbled against a wall, and started to struggle to breathe. Prison officers ran to him to help, and quickly started CPR, but Dougherty died there, as there was nothing the officers or paramedics could do. 

The prisoner was initially jailed for four and a half years in June 2014, having admitted 18 sexual offences, which included possession of thousands of indecent images of children and the indecent assault of a teenage boy.

He was released, subject to monitoring conditions, in June 2017, but breached his conditions and was recalled to Les Nicolles Prison in October 2017.

The inquest was opened on 20 September 2019, but was adjourned for a number of toxicology exams and analysis to be done, despite there being no suspicious circumstances. 

The results received confirmed the death was because of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. There were no suspicious substances in his blood. 

The Court concluded Dougherty's death was due to natural causes, and closed the investigation and inquest. 

Pictured top: Guernsey Prison.