A SICK sexual predator who carried out a ‘campaign’ of rape against a child has died behind bars.

Roy Woodward, who was described as ‘twisted’ by a judge, was locked up for 21 years in April for horrific historical sex offences.

The pervert, from Runcorn, abused a young child for more than a decade in Warrington and Runcorn, bribing her with sweets and then alcohol as she reached an older age.

The 57-year-old was jailed at Chester Crown Court alongside his wife, Gaynor Woodward – who on one occasion saw and ignored her husband engaging in sexual activity with a child.

After trial, he was convicted of multiple counts of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency, while she, of Worcester Court in Runcorn, was convicted of child cruelty charges and jailed for four years.

But he was only months into the prison sentence handed down to him before succumbing to terminal lung cancer as a prisoner at HM Prison Altcourse.

He died on July 23 following his diagnosis, with an inquest at Liverpool Coroner's Court on Friday returning a conclusion of death by natural causes.

His sentencing hearing heard how Woodward’s horrific abuse ‘took away’ his victim’s teenage years, while he maintained denial after being convicted and had shown no remorse.

The court was told that he had seven previous conviction for 10 offences – including for the rape of a child, which he was serving a nine-year prison sentence for at the time.

His wife, then aged 58, had two previous offences, and was referred to in references as a ‘loyal friend, hardworking woman and someone who can be trusted’.

Concluding, Judge Patrick Thompson told Woodward that he used his victim as an opportunity to satisfy his ‘twisted sexual desires’.

He described the offences as a ‘campaign of rape’ and ‘campaign of sexual offending’.