A paedophile described as a "deviant, sexually manipulative individual" by a judge has died in jail while serving a life sentence for his horrific crimes.
He passed away after weeks of suffering, repeatedly refusing medical help and making one final chilling request when taken to hospital - 'take me back to prison to die'.
David Charles Zold was locked up for a series of abuses against four children in the 70s and 80s. The court heard how Zold won over the trust of the kids' parents before taking them to his house where he showed them adult films and forced them into sexual acts.
Zold, from Normanton, West Yorkshire, threatened one young girl that he would murder her parents if she revealed what had happened. His past caught up with him in 2009, when he was handed a life sentence at the age of 59.
Zold was transferred to HMP Wakefield on April 1, 2010, having been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes the previous year. A report from the Prison and Probation Ombudsman stated that while behind bars, Zold was often "frequently noncompliant", refused medical advice and frequently declined to go to hospital.
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In September 2022, Zold fell seriously ill but initially refused to go to the hospital. It was later found out that he was suffering from severe heart failure and ischaemic heart disease. Doctors suggested amputating one of his toes due to circulation problems, but he declined.
Zold's health issues affected his mobility, forcing him to use a wheelchair. Despite his deteriorating health, he repeatedly refused to go to the hospital in the following months and signed disclaimers acknowledging he was rejecting medical advice.
On February 26, 2023, prison officers took Zold to see healthcare staff as he was short of breath and had vomited after eating. He again refused hospital treatment and subsequent blood tests showed abnormal results.
The next day, a nurse examined Zold and discovered that he hadn't been able to eat for four days and couldn't breathe when lying down. He finally agreed to visit the hospital where he was diagnosed with leukaemia while kept in restraints.
Zold declined any cancer treatment and asked to be taken back to HMP Wakefield on March 2. After a fall on March 13, he was again taken to the hospital where the rapid progression of his cancer was noted.
Zold expressed his wish to end his life in prison. His health continued to decline and he passed away at Wakefield on March 25, at the age of 72.
The Prison and Probation Ombudsman's report into Zold's death highlighted that he was kept in restraints at the hospital despite his poor health and limited mobility. The report mentioned that the inappropriate use of restraints on prisoners being taken to hospital is an issue that has been raised with HMP Wakefield before.
Their recommendation stated: "The Governor should provide the Ombudsman with the detail of whatever refreshed, auditable process he has embedded for quality assuring the completion of escort risk assessments to the required standard."
* This article first appeared on Yorkshire Live.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to webhomepage@mirror.co.uk
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