An alleged victim of a convicted sex offender who died the day before he was due in court has spoken of his anger at the way police handled the case.
Richie John waived his right to anonymity last year to speak of his anger when it emerged his alleged abuser, David Wiseman, had died hours before he was to appear at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.
He was hoping to attend the inquest to get some closure but claims police failed to inform him of the hearing.
Wiseman, 74, was to face 10 historic sexual offence charges, dating back to the late 1980s, including five of gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14, four of indecent assault of a boy under the age of 14, and one of making indecent photographs of a child.
The incidents were alleged to have taken place in Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Gwynedd.
But before he could appear in court again last year, police were called to an address at Gower House on St Helen’s Road where Wiseman’s body was discovered.
Mr John blamed the alleged abuse he said began when he was aged just 10 for his life spiralling out of control with drugs and alcohol abuse - and time spent in prison.
The 44-year-old, who lives in Gorseinon, learned in 2014 that Wiseman, who had been convicted in 1987 of having indecent photographs, was back before the courts, after two victims came forward decades after he had abused them.
On that occasion, Wiseman, who was living on Middle Road in Cwmdu, was jailed for four years.
Mr John then reported his experience to a support worker at the sexual assault referral centre (Sarc) in Swansea, and police were subsequently contacted.
And although Mr John was not required to give evidence in person, having made a video statement of police, he said he had been quite prepared to face Wiseman in the dock.
Then he discovered Wiseman had died the day before the case was listed to be heard at court.
Frustrated at not being able to see justice be carried out, Mr John then hoped to attend the inquest into Wiseman’s death, which was held at Swansea Civic Centre in April, at the start of the coronavirus lockdown.
The inquest concluded Wiseman had died of poisoning by morphine toxicity, but ‘it could not be established whether this was a deliberate attempt on the part of the deceased to end his life’.
Mr John said, despite being told by police they would inform him when it was being held, it was not until he called helpline 101 in anger at being kept in the dark, that he discovered it had already taken place and he had missed the opportunity to attend.
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He said: “When I reported the incident at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, I was told someone would be with me within two hours. It took them 26.
“I told my support worker that police had told me they would keep me involved with every single process. They did not.
“Each time I phoned my police contact, they told me ‘I should be phoning you’. But they never did.
“They told me nothing. They made me feel like the criminal.
“I don’t know how many times I was asked to sign disclosure forms for my medical records from doctors, hospital and the agencies been using to help me and my previous drug use issues.
“When I had my bicycle stolen, I had a letter from police acknowledging it. But I had no support for this, other than agencies I sought out - Barod and Sarc.
“I’ve had no police liaison officer contact me.
“When I was preparing to go to court for the case, I got a call the day before to say there wasn’t going to be one because he had been found dead.
“When I asked if they would tell me any more, they told me they couldn’t because it was under investigation.
“They wouldn’t give an indication of how, whether he was ill or possibly he had an accident.
“I spent the last six months trying to get someone to speak to me about the inquest. I was in a complete mental breakdown. Eventually I called 101 and lost the plot, I told them I am being told nothing.
“Within 10 minutes the officer in charge of the case, called me back telling me the inquest had already been held.
“There are no words I can use for the whole experience.
“I wanted to go to the inquest for closure. I’ve lived with it for 30 years and I was cheated out of my day in court.
“I wanted to go to the inquest to find out what happened to him, but also to see his family, so they could understand what type of man he was."
Detective Inspector Gareth Jones of Swansea CID said Mr John had contacted South Wales Police in June 2017 to report historic sexual assault and the case was investigated.
"Mr John was informed that Mr Wiseman had passed away on Monday 8th July, however due to the nature of that investigation no details were given to Mr John at this time.
"Following contact from Mr John in September 2020 he was updated with the result of the coroners hearing into the death of Mr Wiseman, the cause of death was recorded as Morphine Toxicity."
