A convicted child sex offender, Malcolm Ball, 73, died at HMP Stafford after voluntarily refusing food and drink in what has been described as a ‘hunger strike.’ Ball reportedly told prison staff he had ‘had enough’ and wished to be ‘left alone to die in peace,’ following ongoing struggles with a digestive condition while incarcerated.
Ball was serving a sentence of seven years and six months for child sex offences, having been jailed in August 2017. He was released in May 2021 but was recalled to prison shortly thereafter, initially at HMP Hewell before being transferred to HMP Stafford in October 2021, where he remained until his death.
According to a report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), Ball had multiple physical health issues, including ischaemic heart disease, osteoarthritis, hypertension, and pre-diabetes, though no recorded mental health diagnoses. In late December 2022, Ball self-harmed and was placed under suicide and self-harm monitoring. Staff described him as acting out of character and reported that he experienced significant abdominal pain, leading to a refusal to eat or take medication.
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“Ball told a nurse he had ‘had enough’ and was ‘waiting to die’ after struggling with a digestive condition while locked up.”
Throughout the following weeks, prison medical staff made multiple efforts to encourage him to eat and drink, including hospital treatment and intravenous fluids. Despite these interventions, Ball consistently refused food and fluids, citing abdominal pain and a desire to die. Staff conducted welfare checks and moved him to a safer cell but respected his wishes as he was assessed to have mental capacity to make decisions regarding his medical care.
In mid-January 2023, Ball was transferred to the prison’s specialist care unit, an eight-bed ward for rehabilitation and end-of-life care. Despite ongoing encouragement and assessments by healthcare professionals, Ball remained resolute in his refusal of treatment. On 30 January, staff, concerned he was near death, provided continuous observation. He declined pain relief, hospital admission, and resuscitation and died just before 3:10 pm.
A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was dehydration secondary to ischaemic heart disease and chronic constipation. An inquest in April 2026 recorded that his death resulted from food and fluid refusal with intent to take his own life. The PPO noted that while Ball was not always clear about his reasons, he alternately cited physical symptoms and a wish to die as motivations for his refusal.
The PPO found that the care Ball received at HMP Stafford met standards expected in the wider community and was compassionate, with his wishes documented, widely known, and respected. However, some procedural issues were identified, including delays in logging food refusal and the absence of a dietician’s assessment before his death. Additionally, the report noted that a second psychiatric opinion should have been sought to verify Ball’s mental capacity to refuse treatment.
HMP Stafford is a Category C prison in Staffordshire, primarily housing prisoners convicted of sexual offences, with an approximate population of 750 inmates.
The PPO has raised these findings with the Governor and Head of Healthcare to address policy adherence and process improvements.