A MAN jailed for blowing up his marital home while his wife was downstairs has died of mouth cancer, an inquest has heard.

Ian Clowes was sentenced to five years and four months in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court in May 2019 after pleading guilty to arson reckless to endangering life.

The court heard that the 68-year-old had used a large butane gas cylinder to cause the explosion which caused “catastrophic damage” to the house which had been converted into separate flats for Clowes and his estranged wife, Elaine.

Mrs Clowes escaped uninjured from the property in Sterte Road, Poole, but Clowes suffered 30% burns and life-threatening injuries in the incident on October 22 2018.

The inquest heard that Clowes, who was serving his sentence at HMP Winchester, was referred to hospital in October 2019 after he notice a growth inside of his cheek.

After a biopsy and CT scan confirmed that the growth was cancerous, Clowes initially refused surgery although he did later accept radiotherapy but only as palliative care, the Winchester hearing was told.

Coroner Jason Pegg said that by September 2020, Clowes’ condition had deteriorated and he was transferred to the Countess of Brecknock Hospice in Andover for end-of-life care and where he died on September 13.

Recording a verdict of death as a result of natural causes with mouth cancer as the cause of death, Mr Pegg said: “Mr Clowes was offered appropriate care for his condition whilst detained, but sadly the condition was always going to result in his death.”

The coroner passed on his condolences to Mr Clowes’ family, who were not present at the hearing.