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As parole officials considered him for release, sex beast Antoni Imiela boasted from his prison cell of ­having the “rest of my life to live”.

But to the relief of his victims, the M25 rapist will never see freedom again.

Having never shown any remorse for his crimes, Imiela, 63, died on Thursday after falling ill with heart problems.

A source said last night: “He was taken ill this morning in the prison medical bay where he was under observation.

“It became apparent he was in a serious condition and was taken to hospital where he passed away. He had been having problems with his heart.

(Image: Andy Commins/Sunday People)

“A postmortem will be carried out but there were no suspicious circumstances.”

Imiela had served less than 14 years behind bars for raping nine women and girls between 1987 and 2002, with the youngest victim being 10.

Former railway worker Imiela would grab his victims, often beating them or ­threatening them with a knife.

The Parole Board was considering his release in the wake of the ­controversial decision to free black cab rapist John Worboys. The pair were both locked up at Wakefield Prison, West Yorks.

In August, Imiela wrote from his cell: “Well I’ve got the rest of my life to live yet and things to do and in the future.”

His letters focus on his upcoming parole hearing, saying: “The main thing in my head is hoping to get out.”

In the most recent, from November, he moaned: “The probation say I have to live in a hostel for at least three months when I ‘eventually’ get out and they seem not to want me to disappear abroad??!”

(Image: Trinity Mirror Southern)

He also revealed he has been thinking a lot “about the past” and said he has ­suffered the ­consequences of his “criminal ways... rightly or wrongly deserved”.Imiela was born in Lubeck, West Germany, to a Polish father and German mother, who moved here in 1961.

He was known as the M25 rapist as many of his crimes took place near the London orbital motorway while he was living in Appledore, Kent.

His first attack dated back to 1987 when he raped a woman on Christmas Day. The last was in 2002 when he ­indecently assaulted and attempted to rape a girl of 10 in Birmingham.

Det Supt Colin Murray, who led the investigation, called him “without exception, the worst criminal I have ever dealt with”. Imiela rang the mother of one victim, aged 25, after an attack and said: “You know your daughter? I’ve just sh*gged her. You’ll hear about it later.”

The beast was ­sentenced at Maidstone crown court in March 2004.

Although he was given seven life terms the judge ruled he should serve a minimum of only eight years.

(Image: PA)

Fearing he could be freed, prosecutors later pursued another rape case from 1987 and in 2012 he was convicted and sentenced to a further 12 years.

By this year, he had served almost half of that sentence.

Last week, the mother of his last victim said: “I’m horrified that this ‘thing’ might be back on the streets again. They should throw the key away.”

Imiela never admitted a sex ­offence.

In 2012, Judge John Bevan QC told him: “I am satisfied you remain as dangerous as you were in 2004.”

Imiela married second wife Christine in 1997. In 2006, she told an interviewer she would stand by him.

She said: “I couldn’t bear the thought of not talking to him or seeing him. I know my life would be simpler if I chose not to forgive him, but even though it hurts me so much, I know he needs me.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “HMP Wakefield prisoner Antoni Imiela died in custody on Thursday, March 8 2018.

“As with all deaths in custody, there will be an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.”