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PA

Child killer Colin Pitchfork to be released from prison in UK

The UK Parole Board has rejected a challenge to its decision to free Pitchfork.

DOUBLE CHILD KILLER Colin Pitchfork is set to be freed from prison in England after the country’s Parole Board rejected a Government challenge against its ruling.

Pitchfork, now in his early 60s, was jailed for life after raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986.

He became the first man convicted of murder on the basis of DNA evidence in 1988 after admitting two murders, two rapes, two indecent assaults and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Pitchfork’s 30-year minimum term was cut by two years in 2009 and he was moved to an open prison three years ago.

Following a hearing in March, the Parole Board ruled he was “suitable for release”, despite this being denied in 2016 and 2018.

But last month Justice Secretary Robert Buckland asked the board, which is independent of the Government, to re-examine the decision under the so-called reconsideration mechanism.

On Tuesday, the Parole Board announced the application had been “refused”.

A spokesman said in a statement: “The Parole Board has immense sympathy for the families of Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann and recognises the pain and anguish they have endured and continue to endure through the parole process.

“However, Parole Board panels are bound by law to assess whether a prisoner is safe to release. It has no power to alter the original sentence set down by the courts. Legislation dictates that a panel’s decision must be solely focused on what risk a prisoner may pose on release and whether that risk can be managed in the community.

“As made clear in the reconsideration decision, release was supported by all of the Secretary of State’s witnesses during Mr Pitchfork’s review.”

The reconsideration mechanism, introduced in July 2019, allows the Justice Secretary and the prisoner to challenge the board’s decision within 21 days if they believe them to be “procedurally unfair” or “irrational”.

Victims and members of the public can also make a request via the minister.

But the threshold is high and is the same as is required when seeking a judicial review in court.

The provisions also make clear that “being unhappy” with the decision is not grounds for reconsideration.

Buckland intervened on the grounds that the decision to free Pitchfork was “irrational”, because the Parole Board panel “failed to give sufficient reasons” as to why it agreed with the evidence provided by professional witnesses.

Judge Michael Topolski QC, who reviewed the decision for the Parole Board, said he did not consider the decision was “irrational” and concluded that the “application for reconsideration is refused”.

He added: “This was and remains a case of considerable seriousness, complexity and notoriety. The terrible consequences of the brutal rapes and murders of two innocent girls will forever darken the lives of the families concerned.”

Pitchfork’s release will be subject to strict licence conditions.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Jul 13th 2021, 1:43 PM

    Absolutely zero justice for the victims or their families. Disgraceful.

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    Mute Dylan Cotter
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    Jul 13th 2021, 2:55 PM

    @Mjhint: I can’t imagine how sick the families must feel at the prospect of his release, but he’s been in prison for 33 years so it’s definitely not fair to say there’s been “zero justice” served

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Jul 13th 2021, 3:31 PM

    @Dylan Cotter: yes it is. If he committed this crime on your family members would you feel safe or even passive meeting him on the street? These crimes are so bad we must as a society consider these releases impact on the families. Can you even begin to imagine the fear and anger of the families. He may also be pursued & killed outside thús rendering his sentences null and void.

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    Mute Mark Reilly
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    Jul 13th 2021, 3:58 PM

    @Mjhint: well its not zero justice is it.

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    Mute Ger
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    Jul 13th 2021, 4:19 PM

    @Mjhint: well I’m sure the parole board took all of that into account before coming to their decision. You can’t say it’s “zero justice” as he spent 33 years in prison which is several years longer than the minimum sentence he had to serve. As for the oft made comment “how would you feel if it was your family”. Well of course you’d feel differently if it was your family. You’d probably want to kill him yourself. That’s why family members of the victim are not allowed to serve on juries. Because emotion would takeover from logic and the justice system isn’t based on emotion.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Jul 13th 2021, 6:57 PM

    @Ger: I completely accept that however in a crime of this magnitude then in my view it requires careful consideration to lock these perpetrators up indefinitely. These kind of criminals are extremely dangerous.

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Jul 13th 2021, 7:29 PM

    @Dylan Cotter: Hes a double killer and s e x offender. So he is a danger to women. He should d ie in prison.

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Jul 13th 2021, 7:36 PM

    @Ger: Sounds like youre defending his right to be free. He took away two young girls life in the most nightmarish way, and took away their right to live, so excuse me for not giving a flying F about the justice system in this instance. S e x murderers are the most dangerous, compulsive kind. People like him should never be released. Ever.

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    Mute Ger
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    Jul 14th 2021, 1:27 AM

    @Mjhint: I agree. But he wasn’t given a whole life tarrif at the time. So he was always going to be subject to parole hearings. He was refused a couple of times and granted the last time. We haven’t been given any information about why. So he got justice under the law. It may not be what you or I like but it’s justice as written.

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    Mute Ger
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    Jul 14th 2021, 1:33 AM

    @Pauline Gallagher: it sounds like you are making assumptions. I am not defending him. I am pointing out that he was given justice as per the law. Am I wrong? Some murderers are given whole life tariffs, he wasn’t. So it was very unlikely that he would never be released. The sentencing judge knew this when sentencing him. All I did was state facts. Would you rather I said something like “he should be hung by the balls and boiled in tar”? People post stuff like that knowing it will never happen, it’s pointless. What I did was point out the facts under law. If you think that means I’m defending him or what he did then you have an overactive imagination.

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    Mute Brian Kelly
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    Jul 13th 2021, 1:42 PM

    I just don’t know. Can he be trusted again to let out into the community!? Is he likely to be attacked by others after his release?? For his own safety I think it’s best for him and everyone else, that they keep people that have committed crimes like his, behind secure bars. Just my opinion.

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    Mute Robert Clifford
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    Jul 13th 2021, 2:24 PM

    @Brian Kelly: I totally agree that he should be kept in the big house but it’ll be the British taxpayer that foots the bill for his new identity and relocation so in the chances of being attacked by others is fairly slim I’d say. Much like John Venables.

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    Mute Ger
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    Jul 13th 2021, 4:21 PM

    @Brian Kelly: it’s unlikely that he will move back to the community he lived in before.. Also he’ll have changed considerably since that photo was taken. He’s been in an open prison for the past 3 years, very possibly has had work release outside of that prison for a few days a week.

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    Mute Harvey Grahame
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    Jul 13th 2021, 2:29 PM

    @Ronan Castled: Won’t kill again you mean??? It’s not like he stole a bar of chocolate! People like him need never see the light of day again

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    Mute brendan o connell
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    Jul 13th 2021, 5:48 PM

    @Harvey Grahame: people like him should go to the gallows, no issues with him being released then.

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    Mute David Van-Standen
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    Jul 13th 2021, 3:28 PM

    Can a man that raped and murdered two fifteen year old girls ever be rehabilitated?

    I don’t think so, three years passed between the first and second murder, so whatever drove him to rape and kill these girls was able to lay dormant even while he was free, only to surface once the urge and opportunity aligned.

    There is no reason to believe anything has changed in the last thirty years except he hasn’t had an opportunity, until now..

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    Mute Sportmad
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    Jul 13th 2021, 3:51 PM

    All I would say is if they were my Children Next month I’ll be in prison for you know what.

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    Mute Derek Moran
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    Jul 13th 2021, 5:20 PM

    you get one chance at life and if you forfeit someone’s else’s then yours Is also forfeit. Especially in such a deliberate sadis tic act.

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    Mute Pat O'Leary
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    Jul 13th 2021, 3:03 PM

    Sounds like great plan releasing this lad what could go wrong?

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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Jul 13th 2021, 2:55 PM

    Castrate and release!

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    Mute brendan o connell
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    Jul 13th 2021, 11:04 PM

    @John Mc Donagh: no anastatic .

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Jul 13th 2021, 7:33 PM

    The POS who murdered that poor girl in Australia was out on parole at the time. There have been countless people who have gone on to commit the same crimes again within months of being released from lengthy prison terms. Only after more lives are lost are they finally incarcerated for life. He is an extremely dangerous man and should never be released.

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    Mute Ronan Castled
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    Jul 13th 2021, 2:18 PM

    I’m sure he’s very sorry & won’t do it again.

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    Mute Brian Harrold
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    Jul 13th 2021, 2:42 PM

    @Ronan Castled: Inclined to agree… he’s been inside over 30 years & there’ll be a fair degree of supervision following release.

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    Mute Ger
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    Jul 13th 2021, 4:23 PM

    @Brian Harrold: he’ll be on licence for the rest of his life. One slip up and he’s back behind bars

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    Mute Rostyballs78
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    Jul 13th 2021, 5:36 PM

    @Ger: true, but given his prior record that slip up could bring an awful end for a poor unsuspecting victim. He shouldn’t see the light of day again.

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    Mute Rhoda Cunningham
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    Jul 13th 2021, 9:47 PM

    @Ronan Castled: are you serious?

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    Mute Colm Walsh
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    Jul 13th 2021, 9:39 PM

    Prison is a safer place for him, I’d be waiting outside the prison gate for if he murdered my little girl.

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    Mute Adrian Versey
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    Jul 13th 2021, 10:52 PM

    A uniquely cruel crime. A strange society that demonstrates a greater degree of concern over his welfare then that of the victim’s family and friends.

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 16th 2021, 2:23 PM

    @Adrian Versey: The society didn’t, six people on a parole board did. Today in England and Wales he could be sentenced to a whole life tariff.

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    Mute OConnelj
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    Jul 13th 2021, 10:06 PM

    I hope that they have a more recent picture of him. They might need it.

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    Mute Teresa O'Halloran
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    Jul 14th 2021, 12:49 AM

    Nothing can justify his release. Hopefully they will emasculate him before they release him back into society.

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    Jul 13th 2021, 11:59 PM

    An appropriate name for somebody destined for Hell.

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