Roy King, who had previous convictions for sexually abusing children, was found guilty of befriending an 18-year-old man and then raping him in the park in 2007
He was given an Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection (IPP), which saw an offender sent to prison for an indefinite period of time until a Parole Board said the offender was fit for release.
IPP sentences were abolished in 2012 but King was one of over 2,000 IPP prisoners who remained within the prison system.
The 61-year-old was being held at HMP Littlehey, a prison for men convicted of sexual offences, when he died on January 30, 2023, a Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report stated.
Three days earlier a prisoner made allegations that King had sexually assaulted him.
An officer discussed the allegations with King who shouted that the prisoner was lying and said “I know you lot are going to believe that liar”.
As a result of the allegations King was moved to a different wing, faced disciplinary charges and lost his job in the prison.
King had lost his job on a previous occasion for making threatening and racist comments, on that occasion he had self-harmed.
Hours after King was informed of the sexual assault allegation he took an overdose, he subsequently died in hospital three days later.
An inquest concluded “death by misadventure”, finding that King deliberately took an overdose but did not intend to take his own life.
The sexual assault allegation was reported to Cambridgeshire Police but the case was closed after King’s death.
The PPO criticised a failure to adequately monitor King following the allegation.
A report stated: “Mr King had a history of repeated self-harm following inappropriate behaviour, when he lost his job or after staff told him to do something he did not want to do.
“Although this was clearly recorded in his prison records, staff did not consider starting ACCT monitoring (suicide and self-harm monitoring) immediately on the morning of January 27, which would likely have led to consideration of removing Mr King’s in-possession medication.”
A clinical reviewer was also highly critical of actions of some healthcare staff and reported two nurses to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Crystal Palace Park attack
King, who was living in West Norwood at the time, was convicted of the knifepoint rape of an 18-year-old man in 2007.
The offence was committed in July the previous year when King befriended the young man and offered him a place to stay after he missed his last train home.
King was arrested and charged with rape and sexual assault one day later.
He denied any responsibility or involvement in the offence.
When he was confronted with CCTV and forensic evidence, he then claimed he had had consensual sex with the victim.
The jury unanimously found King guilty of anal rape and sexual assault.
King had 11 previous convictions for 25 offences, nine of which are of a sexual nature and include serious offences against young children.
