An elderly prison inmate died three years into a 21-year sentence for sexually abusing a child, a court has heard. 

Malcolm Boswell was jailed in February 2020 for inflicting a seven-year campaign of sexual abuse on a woman while she was a child.

Norfolk Coroner's Court this week heard that Boswell, previously of King's Lynn, had died in hospital on July 12 last year at the age of 82 following a long illness.

An inquest into his death heard that Boswell had died from hepatorenal syndrome, a multiorgan condition affecting his kidneys and liver.

The court heard that following his death, investigations were carried out by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) into the medical care he received during his sentence. 

However, the investigation found that Boswell's medical treatment was equivalent to the care he would have received in the outside community.

The PPO report stated that on two occasions leading up to his death - in May and November 2022 applications were made to grant Boswell early release on compassionate grounds.

However, on both occasions, these applications were turned down due to the inmate not reaching the threshold for this measure.

The report stated this was due to Boswell still being considered a danger to the public and the sentencing judge being aware of his ill health when jailing him.

A third application was lodged in the weeks before his death, but he died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital while waiting for the outcome.

Area coroner Yvonne Blake concluded that Boswell had died of national causes.

She said: "I am satisfied that he received a suitable standard of care while he was in prison.

"He ultimately died from natural causes in hospital."

Boswell was convicted of 11 sexual offences, including three of rape and sexual assault of a child, after being found guilty during a trial in 2019.