Disgraced guitarist David Reid dies in prison at 63

David Reid, a former guitarist for the Manchester reggae band X-O-Dus, has died at the age of 63 while serving a 16-year sentence for historical sex offences. He was incarcerated at HMP Rye Hill in Warwickshire. Reid died in January 2021, and an inquest recently revealed that heart failure caused his death. Reid was convicted in 2013 for raping and abusing a young girl in the 1980s. He denied some charges, but the court found him guilty of all rape counts. His history included serious health issues like obesity, high blood pressure, and paranoid schizophrenia. A report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman highlighted shortcomings in the healthcare he received while in custody. It stated that his medical treatment was not comparable to what he would have received in the community. Concerns were raised about delays in discovering him unresponsive in his cell during a morning roll call. The report revealed that Reid was found lying in bed during the roll call at 7:15 am, but a medical emergency was only declared later at 8:40 am. The ombudsman noted the importance of timely welfare checks by prison staff. After the findings, one staff member resigned, and the prison has since implemented changes to improve care. An inquest into Reid's death concluded that he died of natural causes. The prison, managed by G4S, stated they take the ombudsman’s recommendations seriously and have made changes based on the report.