A convicted sex offender serving a 14-year prison sentence for offences against elderly and vulnerable women has died in custody aged 78. Harry Hankinson died at HMP Wakefield on August 16, 2026, the Prison Service has confirmed. Hankinson had been jailed at Bolton Crown Court in November 2021 after being convicted of attempted rape and four counts of sexual assault. The offences involved three elderly or vulnerable women and were committed between 2017 and 2020. He was subsequently sentenced to 14 years in prison and was serving his sentence at HMP Wakefield at the time of his death. The circumstances surrounding his death will now be subject to an independent investigation, as is standard following a death in custody. A Prison Service spokesperson said: “HMP Wakefield prisoner Harry Hankinson died on 16 August 2026. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.” The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman routinely investigates deaths of prisoners in custody to establish the circumstances surrounding their death.
Originally published by UKNIP.
