A CHILD sex attacker died two years into a life sentence for a series of rapes, an inquest heard.

Undertaker Peter Scurr, 62, from Risinghurst, Oxford, raped and abused six children over a 20-year period.

He was given 16 life sentences for the rape and abuse of children. A court was told Scurr carried out “every form of sexual depravity”.

Scurr, also a former builder and launderette owner, denied all the charges but was convicted of 16 counts of rape and 14 of indecent assault at Oxford Crown Court.

Scurr, who grew up in Kidlington, suffered a massive heart attack while lying in the bottom bunk bed in his cell at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.

In a statement read at a Milton Keynes inquest, cellmate Jason Brown said: “He was a person who knew how the prison system worked and never had any bother with anyone.”

He said he was taking medication for chest pains but these got worse in the three to four weeks leading up to his death. He was waiting for a higher dose prescription when he died, Brown said.

He said: “Throughout the night he would be up regularly and said the pain hurt more when lying down.”

Scurr died on February 16 after showing breathing that was “very fast and forceful”.

Brown raised the alarm and prison officers rushed in but could get no response.

A post mortem examination found three major blood vessels connected to the heart were heavily blocked, which led to the heart attack. An NHS inquiry found no fault in his treatment.

Two of Scurr’s sisters attended the inquest.

One, Joan Lancaster, told the inquest her brother had a troubled childhood in County Durham before he moved to Kidlington, to live with his grandmother as a teenager.

He was divorced and had four children, Ms Lancaster said.

She said: “He did not see them because of his criminal record. I saw him away from home. I didn’t want him to come to my home. I had not seen him very much over the last few years.”

Asked by Coroner Rodney Corner if he was the black sheep of the family, Ms Lancaster said: “He was, but it was only over the last few years.

“He was quite clever. He would do anything for you. I don’t really know what happened later in his life. I don’t know if something happened in the brain.

“He had quite a troubled childhood. He could be quite a gentleman at times. He was married a long time but he was divorced in the last few years – his wife left him."

The court heard Scurr had moved from Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, to Woodhill in January.

The jury returned a verdict of death by natural causes.

Closing the inquest, Mr Corner said: “I think he was a bit of a lost cause for some years, unfortunately.”

Scurr was handed 16 concurrent life sentences, plus 12 concurrent sentences of eight years and two of three years for each indecent assault.

On sentencing him two years ago, Judge Anthony King said it was one of the worst cases he had ever come across and labelled the abuse as “wicked”.