A 50-YEAR-OLD Aberystwyth man, Jason Howell, was found deceased at his home in Blaenllynant Lodge, Upper Queens Road, just days before he was due to be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.
Howell had previously admitted to creating indecent images of children and failing to comply with the sex offenders register.
Police officers, armed with a warrant, discovered Howell’s body in the kitchen of his residence. Beside him were an array of tablets and a large quantity of prescribed medication, suggesting an apparent overdose. A small bottle of vodka was also found nearby. A note, believed to have been written by Howell, was also recovered at the scene. The note expressed his frustration at not receiving the help he believed he needed and contained the chilling words, “I am dead, you all suck.”
Swansea Crown Court heard on Thursday (Aug 29) that the police officer who discovered Howell’s body reportedly recognised him instantly, having encountered him on multiple occasions in the past.
Howell was due to be sentenced for his crimes after pleading guilty to three charges of making a total of 65 indecent images of children, including 22 of the most serious category A images, between 1 November 2020 and 18 July last year. He also admitted to using an alias on social media, a violation of the sex offenders register.
His Honour, Judge Huw Rees, who was due to preside over the sentencing at Swansea Crown Court, has ordered that the committal for sentence be marked as having no legal effect, effectively closing the case following Howell’s death.
