Sexual abuser died after Covid-19 outbreak in HMP Nottingham

Nigel Pipe died after contracting Covid-19 in HMP Nottingham

An ex-teacher convicted of sexually abusing pupils died in hospital after contracting Covid-19 in HMP Nottingham, a coroner has said.

Nigel Pipe, 87, was just three months into a 26-year sentence for multiple offences involving five boys.

They occurred while he was a housemaster at Skegby Hall, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, in the 1960s.

A Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report raised concerns that Covid-19 shielding had not been offered to him.

Despite noting the concern, Dr Liz Didcock, assistant coroner for Nottinghamshire, said she could not say if Pipe's death could have been avoided if he was offered shielding.

In the coroner's conclusion, the cause of death was listed as "natural causes".

Covid outbreak

The hearing was told Pipe suffered from prostate cancer, heart failure and poor mobility.

He was said to have received "good care" by medical staff in the prison and was regularly attended to for treatment to his feet and wounds from two falls in his cell before his death on 5 January.

A Covid-19 outbreak was reported on Pipe's prison wing days before he started to feel unwell.

The inquest heard prison staff called in a "code blue" alert after he was found "notably confused" on 30 December, telling staff he felt "cold and sick".

After an assessment, an ambulance was called and Pipe was taken to Queen Medical Centre before being transferred to City Hospital, where he died.

Pipe abused the boys while working at Skegby Hall in Sutton-in-Ashfield in the 1960s

Dr Didcock said: "There was no discussion with Nigel in terms of risk of Covid-19 development and the offer of shielding was not made to him following his arrival at HMP Nottingham.

"The PPO report summary suggests the decision that the risks and offer of shielding, should have been made.

"I find even if this guidance was not followed in this respect, I cannot make a finding regarding this, and equally I cannot say on the contrary that Nigel's death could have been avoided."

Pipe had been found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court in October 2021 after a three-week trial.

During the case, the jury heard he committed the offences in his 30s while living at Skegby Hall with his wife.

The court was told Pipe, who had since moved to Govilon, Abergavenny, often took the vulnerable boys, all aged under 16, from their beds at night.

He was convicted of four counts of buggery, nine counts of indecency with a child and 14 counts of indecent assault on a male.