Jewellery heist gangster who died after prison shower collapse refused help (2024)

A jewellery heist gangster who collapsed in a prison shower died after refusing medical help.

Paul Hogwood was part of a seven-man group that targeted the Mappin & Webb shop at St Andrews ’ Old Course Hotel in 2015. We previously told how the con died behind bars at HMP Perth in January 2021 due to serious diabetes complications.

During an fatal accident inquiry into his death, the 60-year-old's widow argued that he had always been good at managing his diabetes and believed there were problems in getting medical appointments due to Covid restrictions.

However, the FAI found that Hogwood had repeatedly refused medical help on numerous occasions in the days before to his death from witness testimonies from fellow inmates, prison officers and medical staff.

Hogwood was identified as the key member of the gang that tried to target the golf resort in 2015. He was described as a career criminal and travelled from London to Fife to carry out the robbery.

They bought weapons, carried out a reconnoitre of the shop and stole two speedy Italian scooters to use as getaway vehicles.

But, unknown to the raiders, police had been watching them for some time and moved in to make arrests shortly before the crime could take place.

He had been serving a 10-year sentence and wasn't due to be released until September 2024 Officers had spotted four of the London-based gang when they were in the Fife town a week before the planned raid, the court heard.

Metropolitan Police Flying Squad believed they were responsible for a series of smash-and-grab robberies in London then liaised with counterparts in Scotland. The group was monitored in a “major surveillance operation” from the moment they entered Scotland.

A post-mortem revealed Hogwood's cause of death was pneumonia and diabetic ketoacidosis, as well as chronic bronchitis.

During the inquiry, Dr Ken Darzy, a consultant diabetologist and endocrinologist who was instructed by the agents of the next of kin, backed up the findings saying the prisoner had failed to attend appointments and was at risk of chest infections because of his "poorly controlled diabetes".

Although the consultant had argued that Hogwood would have been saved if he had been identified as having diabetes complications 30 minutes before, he accepted that “nothing could have prevented the death of the deceased once he went into cardiac arrest”. He added that the prisoner had "suffered a very sudden rapid decline."

Sheriff Sheaf concluded: "Neither the deceased nor the prison staff were aware that the former was seriously unwell on 15 January. In the days leading up to his death, the deceased had declined medical assistance. This was despite his condition as a diabetic and his recent admission to hospital.

"Unfortunately nobody was aware of the true state of the deceased’s health and there was no obvious reason to override the deceased’s wishes not to seek medical treatment given how the deceased was presenting that day, particularly in the afternoon when he seemed to be getting better."

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