Dean Newton, aged 52, who was serving a five-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a sleeping male in a hotel room, has died in custody at HMP Five Wells.
Newton, originally from Basingstoke, Hampshire, was found guilty by a jury at Plymouth Crown Court in July 2024 following an investigation into offences committed several years earlier.
The court heard that the incident occurred in October 2019 following a social night out in Plymouth. Newton returned to a hotel room with the male victim and waited until the man fell asleep. While the victim was unconscious and unable to consent, Newton carried out sexual acts on him and used his mobile telephone to take naked photographs of him. The victim became aware of what had taken place and formally reported the matter to Devon and Cornwall Police in January 2020.
Under UK legislation, all victims of sexual offences are protected by lifelong statutory anonymity.
Following his conviction, the trial judge sentenced Newton to an immediate custodial sentence of five years, alongside notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register and preventative court orders.
Newton served approximately 18 months of his sentence before passing away at HMP Five Wells on 31 December 2025.
A formal investigation conducted by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman established that Newton died as a result of a heart attack caused by a blood clot obstructing an artery. Following an inquest, the coroner concluded that Newton died from natural causes.
An accompanying independent clinical review determined that the healthcare provided to Newton whilst in custody met a reasonable standard overall. The reviewer noted that prison healthcare personnel had omitted to address his clinical obesity or hold structured discussions regarding weight management options, though the findings confirmed this oversight had no direct causal connection to his fatal cardiac event.
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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