Leeds man took his own life after going missing on day he was found guilty of sex offences relating to child
A Leeds sex offender took his own life after going missing on the last day of his criminal trial in which he was found guilty of offences relating to a child.
Andrew Wilson, from Morley, was found dead in woodland off Thwaite Lane in Stourton on July 1, after being reported missing 10 days earlier.
The retired 65-year-old disappeared on the final day of his criminal trial at Leeds Crown Court, prompting a huge police search, a hearing at Wakefield Coroner’s Court has this week heard. The court was told that he took his own life.
YEP INVESTIGATION
The Yorkshire Evening Post can now report the following findings from our own investigation, outside of the inquest.
Wilson had been charged with four counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years; two counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of fourteen; attempted rape of a female under 16; and attempted buggery with a woman, according to privileged court documents.
On June 21, the day Wilson went missing, the jury in his case returned their verdict and found him guilty on all eight charges in his absence, a privileged statement from the court confirmed. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) also confirmed he was found guilty of all the charges in his absence.
Wilson was set to be sentenced for the crimes on August 12 at Leeds Crown Court.
Following his death, a ‘mention’ hearing was instead held on July 30 at the court, where the case was “formally concluded”, the CPS confirmed to the YEP .
THE INQUEST
Wilson’s death was ruled to be a suicide following the hearing at Wakefield Coroner's Court yesterday (September 26).
The court heard a statement from his wife, who described how her husband had never suffered with his mental health prior to his death.
The couple, who previously lived in Leeds but later moved away, were staying at the Park Plaza hotel on Boar Lane to attend the trial. The inquest heard that the jury in Wilson’s criminal trial at Leeds Crown Court was due to return a verdict on June 21.
Wilson's wife said that her husband had “felt down” the day before, and was “determined that the jury was going to find him guilty”. In her statement, she said that on the morning he went missing, she woke up to find Wilson stood over her, and said he told her that he “didn't want to die in prison for an offence he had not committed”.
The court heard that Wilson left the hotel but had not returned ahead of his criminal court hearing. He was reported missing to the police.
West Yorkshire Police launched an operation and issued photos of Wilson leaving the hotel on the morning of June 21. He was later spotted walking along a footpath near the River Aire in Hunslet.
Police said they were “very concerned for the welfare of Mr Wilson” in an appeal. More than a week later on July 1, his body was discovered by a dog walker.
PC Charlotte Sampson, of West Yorkshire Police, said in a statement to the coroner that officers believed the body to be Wilson's as the clothing matched a description they had. She confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances.
A post-mortem found that the cause of his death was hanging.
Coroner Oliver Longstaff said his formal conclusion was that Wilson’s death was a suicide.