Evil double child killer Colin Pitchfork will NOT be freed from prison after parole review
DOUBLE child killer Colin Pitchfork will now not be freed from prison, following a review by the Parole Board.
Pitchfork was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years in 1988, later reduced to 28 years, for raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in 1983 and 1986 respectively.
In June this year, Pitchfork had been ruled safe for release - less than two years after he was thrown back in jail.
The Parole Board met in October and November to decide whether he could be released, with its decision summary published on Thursday.
It said: "After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.
"Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Pitchfork should be transferred to an open prison.
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"In the panel's view, there remains a need for Mr Pitchfork to complete further work to address the identified risk factors in his case and it determined that this work should be undertaken in a closed prison.
"Mr Pitchfork will be eligible for another parole review in due course."
Pitchfork was jailed for life in 1988 for the rape and murder of the two teenagers in Leicestershire.
He was the first person in the world to be arrested and convicted using DNA evidence.
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Pitchfork infamously left one son sleeping in the back of his car while he raped and murdered his first victim, Mann, before driving home and putting the baby to bed.
On November 21, 1983, Mann was taking a shortcut on her way home from babysitting in her village of Narborough when she disappeared.
Her parents spent the evening looking for her but the next morning her body was found dumped on a local footpath, having been strangled to death.
Mann had also been raped.
It wasn't until Ashworth's body was found in similar circumstances in July 1986 that the police had any leads or evidence.
Ashworth had left a friend's house in Narborough but vanished on the short walk to her home in the neighbouring village of Enderby.
Her body was found in the corner of a field hidden under branches and showed signs of a terrible struggle before she was killed.
Cops arrested Richard Buckland – a local 17-year-old with learning difficulties who knew Ashworth - shortly after her body was found, however, DNA evidence proved Buckland was innocent and eventually led to Pitchfork's arrest.
Pitchfork pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of both teens and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years in 1988.
In 2009, his sentence was reduced, on appeal, to 28 years.
Prior to marrying his wife, Pitchfork had been convicted of indecent exposure and had been referred for therapy at a local hospital.
After being denied parole on two occasions, in 2016 and in 2018, the Parole Board deemed in June 2021 that Pitchfork was no longer a danger to the public.
He was released in July 2021 but was back in jail two months later after breaching the licence conditions of his release.
It was revealed that he had "sidled up" to young women while out on long walks and was arrested over "concerning behaviours" after being freed.
In its summary on Thursday, the Parole Board said despite Pitchfork undertaking work in custody, it could "not be wholly satisfied" the behaviours that caused him to offend had been resolved.
It said: "At the time of his offending, these risk factors had included his negative attitude towards women, his difficulties in managing extreme emotions and his enjoyment of causing fear in women.
"He had a need to be in control, held deviant fantasies and wanted to punish women. Mr Pitchfork was preoccupied with sexual thoughts, felt entitled to have sex as and when he wanted to and found enjoyment in sexual violence.
"He made poor decisions in his life, had difficulties in his relationships and was socially isolated, finding it difficult to solve life's problems.
"The panel was concerned that there was an absence of current information about Mr Pitchfork's attitude towards sex, his thinking and his beliefs.
"Having explored this at the hearing, the panel could not be wholly satisfied whether the behaviours that caused Mr Pitchfork to offend were no longer present.
"The panel also identified concerns about his behaviour in prison since his recall and what it considered to be protracted and inconsistent explanations from Mr Pitchfork about his time on licence.
"Having heard his evidence, the panel did not consider that he was being open and honest."
The decision is provisional for 21 days, during which time Pitchfork can appeal, but the families of his victims have been made aware of the outcome.
Barbara Ashworth, mother of Dawn, said she did not wish to formally comment until the 21 days had passed, but said prison is "where he (Pitchfork) needs to be".
The MP for South Leicestershire, Alberto Costa, who previously campaigned for Pitchfork to remain behind bars, welcomed the decision and said the killer has "no place in the community".
In a statement, he said: "This is welcome news for my constituents and the families of Dawn and Lynda whose suffering will ultimately always outweigh Pitchfork's punishment.
"Since I was first elected in 2015, I have been working with my team to see that Pitchfork remains in prison because I have no interest in gambling on the safety of women and girls in South Leicestershire so a convicted murderer and rapist can live in the community.
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"A man capable of committing such horrific crimes, now only in his early 60s, has no place in the community where he remains a clear risk and I will continue to make that case.
"Under today's laws, Colin Pitchfork's crimes would likely see him spend his entire natural life in prison and today's decision is another step closer to that reality."
