A convicted child sex offender, John Sadler, passed away in HMP Liverpool on the day he was about to be sentenced for new charges. John Sadler, formerly of the Woodchurch region, passed away at Walton prison on Tuesday, November 26.
The 32-year-old, whose most recent location was HMP Altcourse, was convicted of multiple charges on Monday following a trial. Charge documents indicate that John Sadler confronted allegations related to communication and imagery involving both actual minors and police decoys.
The ECHO reports that John Sadler was confronted with the possibility of a sentence of up to 10 years’ jail. An informant disclosed to the ECHO that John Sadler was scheduled to be sentenced via video link on Tuesday afternoon; however, the hearing was postponed due to a medical issue.
The Prison Service and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman have both verified to the ECHO that Sadler has died. A representative of the Prison Service stated: “HMP Liverpool inmate John Sadler passed away on November 26, 2024.” The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation into all fatalities occurring in custody.
Adrian Usher, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, stated: “My office is conducting an independent investigation into the death of Mr. John Sadler at HMP Liverpool on 26 November 2024.” We will release our conclusive investigative findings regarding his death following the completion of the inquest.
The ECHO has previously reported on Sadler’s prior court appearances. In 2014, a 21-year-old male engaged in grooming a 13-year-old female prior to engaging in sexual intercourse with her in a park located in Wirral. He encountered the victim online and communicated with her over Skype prior to meeting her on several occasions.
John Sadler refuted five charges of sexual conduct with a minor but was convicted during the trial. He received an extended prison sentence along with a consecutive term for contempt of court after threatening the victim’s family, stating: “I’ll ****ing have you when I’m out.”
In 2017, John Sadler sought to contest his sentence at the Court of Appeal, asserting that he was a victim of a miscarriage of justice. He stated that his password was “known to others” and that both his computer and mobile phone had been compromised. Notwithstanding the robustness of the prosecution’s case, John Sadler engaged in a fruitless endeavour to establish his innocence, which included appealing to the Queen regarding his situation.
The hazardous offender, characterised as “manipulative and calculating” by his trial judge, was denied the right to appeal, as a high court judge determined: “These convictions are wholly secure; he has not identified a single legitimate ground.” According to charging sheets, John Sadler’s criminal activities occurred between March 2019 and September 2021.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is currently conducting multiple investigations into fatalities at HMP Liverpool. The latest inspection report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons commended its “caring culture.” The chief inspector of prisons stated: “The prison’s strategy for mitigating self-harm demonstrated an effective care approach, based on strong staff-prisoner relationships, which were a significant asset at HMP Liverpool.”
The latest performance assessment by the Ministry of Justice rated HMP Liverpool as satisfactory. A whistleblower at the prison informed the ECHO that staffing levels were “alarmingly low,” indicating that the institution’s resources were significantly strained, so “endangering both staff and inmates.” In reaction to the whistle-blower’s allegations, the Ministry of Justice stated that the jail has augmented its personnel and allocated resources towards enhanced security protocols.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.