Investigation into paedophiles death at Lancashire prison answers wife's questions
An investigation has been carried out into the death of a paedophile at Leyland’s Wymott Prison.
A sex offender who preyed on children for more than a decade has died behind bars.
Martyn Woods of Lowton, Wigan, died in September 2024 at Leyland’s Wymott Prison, aged 79.
An investigation was carried out by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), which answered questions posed by Mr Wood’s wife, and this week the report has been made public.
The Background
The court heard Woods repeatedly sexually abused a young girl, between 1962 and 1976, starting from when she was four-years-old until the last occasion when she was 16. His targeted abuse of the girl took place at addresses in Bolton, Radcliffe and Rawtenstall.
On one occasion in 1976, Woods set his sights on a teenage boy, aged 13, and sexually assaulted him as he lay in bed.It was only in 2017 when one of his victims bravely came forward that the level of Woods offending was revealed.
Death
He died in hospital of empyema of the left hemithorax (a collection of pus in the area between the lung and chest wall) on September 29, 2024, while a prisoner at HMP Wymott.
The PPO said: “ The Ombudsman’s office wrote to Mr Woods’ next of kin, his wife, to explain the investigation and to ask if she had any matters she wanted us to consider. She asked for a copy of the report and wanted to know why Mr Woods was admitted to hospital. She also wanted reassurance that Mr Woods had received all the medical care he needed.”
The review
NHS England commissioned an independent clinical reviewer to review Woods’ clinical care at HMP Wymott. The PPO report states: “The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care Mr Woods received at Wymott was of a good standard and was equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community.
“She found that Mr Woods had the appropriate care plans in place and his ongoing health concerns were addressed accordingly”, and added that she did not identify any non-clinical learning and makes no recommendations .
At an inquest held on January 9, 2026, the Coroner concluded that Woods died of natural causes.