Double-child killer Colin Pitchfork launches fresh legal bid to secure freedom

Child slayer Colin Pitchfork cleared for merchandise successful July

Double kid slayer Colin Pitchfork’s determination to motorboat a legal bid to unafraid his state has prompted Tory MP Alberto Costa to dependable his sedate concerns astir the murderer’s persistent bid to beryllium freed connected parole.

He fears Pitchfork, 64, whitethorn beryllium trying to manipulate the system, fixed the ineligible determination has forced the hold of a parole committee proceeding which had been owed to get underway today.

The Parole Board yesterday confirmed Pitchfork is seeking support for a judicial reappraisal implicit "ongoing caller allegations" astir his behaviour successful situation and the grade of caller worldly successful the lawsuit that helium has been permitted to see.

Consequently, the proceeding has present been pushed backmost until further notice.

Pitchfork was jailed for beingness successful 1988 aft raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth successful Leicestershire successful 1983 and 1986 respectively.

Colin Pitchfork and a tribunal sketch (right) done 16 years ago. (Image: Police handout/GETTY)

Then aged 27, Pitchfork became the archetypal antheral to beryllium convicted successful the UK utilizing DNA profiling and was handed a minimum jailhouse word of 30 years, aboriginal reduced to 28 years.

He was initially released from situation successful September 2021 but was backmost down bars 2 months aboriginal aft breaching his licence conditions erstwhile helium approached a lone pistillate portion litter-picking.

Supervision successful the assemblage and decisions connected callback are managed by the Probation Service.

Upon recall, his lawsuit was referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State, astatine which constituent a Parole Board sheet recovered the callback to beryllium unjustified.

Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth were some murdered by Colin Pitchfork. (Image: Handout)

As a effect of Pitchfork’s exertion for a judicial review, his ineligible squad indispensable present person the tribunal that they person an “arguable” lawsuit to beryllium granted support to proceed to a afloat hearing, Mr Costa, the Tory MP for South Leicestershire, pointed out.

He continued: “This latest improvement highlights again that that Parole Board whitethorn person perchance failed to decently negociate Pitchfork’s case.

“It is not successful Mr Pitchfork’s involvement to hold his ain parole hearing. If, and I anticipation this is not the case, the Parole Board person fallen short, I bash fearfulness that this volition embolden Mr Pitchfork further successful his attempts to beryllium released.”

Mr Costa continued: “In 2021, Pitchfork was recalled for breaching a polygraph investigating condition, which was aboriginal deemed to beryllium unlawfully imposed. This mistake meant that his callback could not beryllium decently justified astatine the time.

Alberto Costa speaking successful the Commons past month. (Image: Parliament TV)

“Again successful 2024 his palmy entreaty stemmed from the Parole Board's nonaccomplishment to decently see the situation offender manager's recommendation, and this led to a reconsideration of the lawsuit and unnecessary expenditure of nationalist resources.

“Let america not hide the information this antheral poses, and the unnecessary accent and anxiousness this improvement volition origin to the victims’ families, friends and the community.”

In a missive sent to Mr Costa earlier this week, Faith Geary, the Parole Board's Chief Operating Officer, explained: "Last week, the Parole Board sheet successful the lawsuit met astatine a lawsuit league (preliminary hearing) with Colin Pitchfork's ineligible typical and a typical from the Secretary of State. 

"At the lawsuit conference, the ineligible typical for Colin Pitchfork informed each those contiguous that helium volition beryllium making an exertion for support for judicial reappraisal to the High Court. They asked the Parole Board to see adjourning the reappraisal until a clip erstwhile the presumption connected the judicial reappraisal is clearer."

"The pending judicial reappraisal relates to the ongoing caller allegations and the grade of the caller worldly submitted successful the lawsuit that Colin Pitchfork has been permitted to see.”

No details relating to the allegations person been provided.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board added: "Colin Pitchfork was owed to person an oral proceeding successful October and November. However, helium asked for the proceeding to beryllium adjourned due to the fact that helium was making an exertion for support for judicial review.

"The pending judicial reappraisal relates to the ongoing caller allegations and the grade of the caller worldly submitted successful the lawsuit that helium has been permitted to see.

"A sheet of the Parole Board sought representations from some parties and agreed to the adjournment request; the oral proceeding volition beryllium adjourned until further notice. This is due to the fact that the imaginable interaction of immoderate determination successful the judicial reappraisal connected the oral hearing.

"Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with utmost care. Protecting the nationalist is our fig 1 priority.

"As ongoing ineligible proceedings are active, it would not beryllium due for america to remark further astatine this stage."

Recent Timeline of Events

• June 2023: The Parole Board issued a determination directing for Pitchfork’s re-release from prison. Following Mr Costa’s intervention, the Justice Secretary applied for reconsideration due to the fact that the determination was irrational, and the Parole Board granted the application
• December 7, 2023: Following a caller oral proceeding the Parole Board reversed its determination and ruled that Pitchfork should stay down bars
• February 12, 2024: Pitchfork uniquely applied for reconsideration of a reconsidered decision, and the Parole Board confirmed that it had granted his exertion due to the fact that the provisional determination of December 7, 2023, was irrational
• May 16, 2024: The Parole Board hold to Mr Costa’s petition to clasp the proceeding successful public
• June 28, 2024: The Parole Board adjourns the planned nationalist oral proceeding of Colin Pitchfork owed to “a precise caller development”
• July 11, 2024: The Parole Board changed the hearing’s listing from nationalist to private