‘Evil’ paedophile was told he could die a free man but he chose to stay in prison
DENNIS DOBSON, 81, CAUGHT COVID WHILE IN HOSPITAL FOR A FOOT AMPUTATION SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATH
AN evil paedophile babysitter from Hull chose to die in prison after catching Covid-19, according to a new report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
Dennis Dobson, 81, had been jailed for 21 years in 2012 after he was convicted of assaulting four girls, one as young as five, over an 11-year period while babysitting them.
He was finally caught when one of his victims told her teacher at school and Dobson was found unanimously guilty by a jury at Hull Crown Court after just 45 minutes following an eight-day trial.
Dobson had a number of chronic conditions when he first entered prison in 2011 and finally died from coronary heart disease on November 23, 2020, at HMP Full Sutton.
Dobson, previously of Glebe Road, east Hull, had been unemployed for eight years and was claiming disability benefit for a back injury and diabetes at the time of his imprisonment in 2011.
Dobson was convicted of two rapes, three attempted rapes and ten sexual assaults by Judge James Sampson and he was sentenced to 21 years behind bars in March 2012.
After the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Craig Nicholson said: “What he did was absolutely evil. He has had no fear and complete disregard for his victims.
“He felt he was beyond reproach. He was trusted as a babysitter for the children by their parents. He has robbed them of their childhood.”
Dobson was a strict, stern authoritarian figure and the children in his care were said to be frightened of him, he was said to have shouted at them and threatened them with violence if they intimated that they might tell people about his crimes.
Dobson had several chronic health conditions when he entered prison, including heart disease and diabetes, and in 2019 he was diagnosed with cancer and kidney disease.
On October 2, 2020, Dobson was admitted to hospital after having a further heart attack and on October 13 his left foot was amputated because of an ulcer.
On November 12, he was discharged back to Full Sutton after testing positive for Covid19 in hospital and was located in the prison’s palliative care suite to isolate and receive end-of-life care.
An application for compassionate release was discussed but Dobson’s condition continued to deteriorate until his death on November 23.
The report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said: “The clinical reviewer concluded the healthcare Mr Dobson received at HMP Full Sutton was equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community. She made no recommendations.
“We did not find any non-clinical issues of concern and we have made no recommendations. We are satisfied that Mr Dobson was able to shield from March 2020 onwards and was nursed in isolation when he returned from hospital in September.
“Mr Dobson did not show symptoms of Covid-19 until his return from hospital on 12 November. As he had spent the previous six weeks in hospital, we assume he contracted the virus in hospital.
“The investigation found that after healthcare staff were notified by hospital staff that Mr Dobson had tested Covid-19 positive, they responded appropriately and in line with national guidance and implemented appropriate measures in a timely manner.”
Before entering prison, Dobson had been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease and he had had two heart attacks in 2006.
In 2019, Dobson was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and acute kidney disease, hospital staff concluded that he was too frail to undergo active treatment and that would be suitable for palliative care only.
At the start of 2020, Dobson was reviewed by a prison GP who discussed a release on temporary licence with him, but Dobson said he was not interested in pursuing any form of early release from prison.
In June that year a podiatrist at HMP Full Sutton noted Dobson had developed an ulcer on his left foot, possibly as a result of his diabetes and he was regularly reviewed by healthcare staff, who noted that the ulcer was deteriorating.
On October 2, Dobson was taken to hospital by emergency ambulance after complaining of chest pain. Hospital staff confirmed he had had a heart attack and he was admitted as an inpatient.
Just 11 days later hospital staff amputated his left foot due to the extent of the ulcer and Dobson’s condition continued to deteriorate.
On November 12, Dobson was discharged back to Full Sutton after testing positive for Covid-19, he was moved to the prison’s palliative care suite to isolate and to receive end-of-life care.
Later that month a prison GP discussed making an application for early release on compassionate grounds with Dobson, however, he was adamant that he did not wish to be considered for early release, and that his preference was to die in prison.
He received his wish on November 23, with the official cause of death being coronary artery insufficiency.