A SEX offender died within three months of arriving at Dorchester prison, an inquest was told.

Pensioner Thomas Edwin Brian Holloway was sentenced to 18 months at Dorchester Crown Court last June for four offences of taking indecent images of a child and one charge of making an indecent image of a child.

The offences involved Mr Holloway secretly filming a girl under the age of 16 when she visited his property over the space of three months. The 73-year-old, formerly of Owermoigne, collapsed in his cell on September 6 last year and, despite efforts by prison officers and medical staff, was pronounced dead half an hour later.

The jury inquest at County Hall in Dorchester heard that Mr Holloway was a smoker who had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, for which he was issued with a nebuliser to help him breathe.

Prison officer Gary Stevens said that at around 9.30am he was alerted to the cell alarm signal.

He said: “I responded pretty quickly and got to his door. He was stood by his cell door using his nebuliser.”

Mr Stevens said it was clear Mr Holloway was having trouble breathing so he contacted healthcare staff but the prisoner soon took a turn for the worse.

He said: “Fairly soon after the nurse came back we both lowered him on to the floor and almost immediately the nurse started CPR.”

Staff nurse Stephanie Cooper said: “Whilst I was dealing with him he collapsed and stopped breathing and appeared to have no pulse.”

Mr Stevens and other prison and medical staff attempted to resuscitate Mr Holloway but at 9.56am, following the arrival of paramedics, he was pronounced dead.

The prison officer said in his opinion there was nothing more staff at the prison could have done to save Mr Holloway.

Pathologist Dr Mark Deverell told the jury that Mr Holloway died from a pulmonary embolism and emphysema, while he also found evidence of an abdominal aortic aneurism – a dilation of the aorta.

He said the findings suggested Mr Holloway had died from natural causes.

Deputy Coroner for West Dorset Alan Horne explained that because Mr Holloway had died in custody a jury inquest was required.

The jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes.

Serving 18-month sentence

HOLLOWAY was jailed in June 2011 – just a few months before his death in Dorchester prison.

He was due to serve 18 months for his offences. Holloway’s victim was just 15 at the time.

There were 18 different movies of grade three, a medium level seriousness, but some were duplicated, making a total of 60.

Prosecutor Jennie Rickman said: “While she had been at the property, he had been filming what was going on.”

A clip from the video footage was played in open court where the young girl mentioned she was 15.

However Holloway told the court he had hearing problems and was unaware of her age.

Judge Roger Jarvis told Holloway when sentencing him: “The victim wasn’t informed that she was being videoed.”

He added: “You took advantage of a girl who was vulnerable at the time.”

Holloway was also put on the Sex Offenders Register and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed.