UK child molester chokes to death on prison food

In a stunning twist, a convicted child molester in the United Kingdom came to a sudden end behind bars after he choked to death on his prison breakfast. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the harsh realities of life faced by inmates, especially those convicted of heinous crimes against children.

John McKno, 74, a former math teacher, was serving a 14-year sentence for sexually assaulting five of his students when the incident occurred. McKno had been jailed in 2016 for his crimes, which no doubt shattered the lives of his young victims and their families.

The death of McKno underlines a lot of ironies and is just scary. Prison food is usually the source of complaints and jokes, not something that makes headlines as a cause of death. However, in this case, the very sustenance that was meant to keep inmates alive turned out to be the instrument of John McKno’s death.

An inquest into the incident revealed that McKno choked on his breakfast while in the prison wing. This raises the question: proper supervision and medical care, even for people who have been convicted of crimes as deplorable as this, are good things.

As reported by the New York Post, “A British boarding school teacher, who was serving a 14-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting five students, choked to death on his breakfast.”

It is an incident in a series of others where prisoners have died in UK prisons. Recently, there were multiple deaths at HMP Parc in Bridgend, where six prisoners reportedly died within three weeks. This would make anyone question the general conditions and safety measures in place within the UK’s prison system.

Prison food and last meals for inmates on death row have been, in many countries, especially the United States, a long-standing subject of morbid fascination. However, some countries take a totally different approach to feeding their incarcerated population. Nordic prisoners often cook and eat together, sometimes even foraging for ingredients—a far cry from conditions in many British prisons.

While it is understandable to have mixed emotions upon hearing news of convicted child molesters, one has to remind oneself that the judicial system is there to punish and help rehabilitate criminals through due process. The unexplained death of an inmate, no matter how heinous the crimes, should raise some questions regarding living conditions within prison and the duty of care by the State to those incarcerated.

In the final analysis, while the crimes of John McKno were doubtless abhorrent, his death by choking raises important questions about prison conditions, inmate care, and the nature of justice. As society grapples with these issues, it’s clear that the conversation about how we treat even the most reviled offenders in our custody is far from over.