Morbidly obese paedophile dies in prison weighing close to 30st
A child rapist, Michael Hillitt, passed away in jail as his weight neared 30st. The 72-year-old faced breathing difficulties leading to his death at HMP Parc in Bridgend, where he was serving a lengthy sentence for numerous sexual offenses. Hillitt, hailing from Cwmbran, was sentenced to 21 years in prison in 2020 for 32 historical sexual crimes, including rape, attempted rape, and assault on a child under 13. Spanning over six decades, his crimes dated back to 1968 when he abused a nine-year-old boy. His atrocities came to light when a victim disclosed the abuse to a nurse in a psychiatric ward.
Upon his arrival at Parc, Hillitt weighed 198kg (31.2st) and had a BMI well above the healthy range, at 56. He relied on a wheelchair due to severe fluid retention in his legs, COPD, and heart disease. Despite losing weight to 150kg (23.6st) in July 2021, he started gaining weight again, reaching 180kg (28.3st) by May the following year. Hillitt attributed his weight gain to coping with mental health issues through comfort eating. Refusing treatment, he was eventually diagnosed with prostate cancer but declined further medical assistance, citing the challenges of serving a long prison sentence impacting his quality of life.
In February 2023, concerns grew as Hillitt complained of worsening breathlessness and was advised to go to A&E. However, he refused, opting to see a prison GP instead. Subsequently, his condition deteriorated, and healthcare staff decided to transfer him to the hospital. Due to his size, an ambulance was the only means of transportation, arriving hours later. Despite the medical care received at Parc being of high standard, doctors could not prevent his death from respiratory failure caused by COPD, five days after hospitalisation on May 18.
Adrian Usher, the ombudsman, commended the efforts of the healthcare staff involved in Hillitt’s care and found no issues of concern beyond his clinical treatment. Hillitt’s tragic demise highlights the complexities faced by individuals with severe health conditions, even within the prison system.