• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Colin Pitchfork, double child killer, walks free from jail

He was given a life sentence in 1988 for raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2021-09-01 12:46
in News
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Double child killer Colin Pitchfork has walked free from prison after bids to keep him behind bars for longer failed.

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

He was eventually caught after the world’s first mass screening for DNA – where 5,000 men in three villages were asked to volunteer blood or saliva samples – and admitted two murders, two rapes, two indecent assaults and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Pitchfork became the first man convicted of murder on the basis of DNA evidence in 1988.

His 30-year minimum term was cut by two years in 2009, he was moved to open prison HMP Leyhill in Gloucestershire three years ago, and he was released on Wednesday.

‘I’m not living a life’

Dawn’s mother, Barbara Ashworth, said Pitchfork should have been kept behind bars for life, saying his crimes had reduced her life to an “existence” and adding: “I don’t think he should be breathing the same air as us.”

“I can never put it out of my mind,” she said. “I recoil every day with people talking about their daughters and grandchildren. As I say, it’s with you daily, what you’ve had taken and all that she could have achieved.

RelatedPosts

Trooping the Colour: ‘Multiple injuries’ reported as stand COLLAPSES

Teacher asks kids what they would do if they were royals for one day – these are the heartwarming responses

Mogg will be pleased! Government staff work in corridors over desks shortage

Good Friday agreement: People moved by Liam Neeson’s cameo in final episode of Derry Girls

“I just think it should never have been allowed, he should never be walking the streets again … he should have been locked away for life without parole as far as I’m concerned.

“It’s an existence, it’s not a life. I’m not living a life, it’s just go from day to day.

“Something like this goes to pull the rug from under you and you don’t realise how shattered your life can be when you’ve just had everything taken away.”

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

In June, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland asked the board, which is independent of the government, to re-examine the decision under the so-called reconsideration mechanism.

But the Parole Board rejected the government challenge against its ruling the following month, announcing that the application to reconsider the decision had been refused.

Buckland expressed his disappointment but said he respected the decision.

‘Strong regime of controls’

Pitchfork is now subject to more than 40 licence conditions, which the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) described as some of the strictest “ever set”. Typically there are seven standard conditions for offenders leaving prison but Pitchfork will have to meet a further 36 requirements.

Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins told LBC there is a “very strong regime of controls” put on offenders who leave prison, when asked whether she is happy with the plan for Pitchfork’s release and if she is confident in the safeguarding measures that will be put in place.

Pitchfork will be placed on the sex offenders register and have to live at a designated address, be supervised by probation, wear an electronic tag, take part in polygraph – lie detector – tests, and have to disclose what vehicles he uses and who he speaks to, while also facing particular limits on contact with children.

He will be subject to a curfew, have restrictions on using technology, and face limitations on where he can go.

An MoJ spokesman said the department’s “heartfelt sympathies” remain with the families, adding: “Public safety is our top priority, which is why he is subject to some of the strictest licence conditions ever set and will remain under supervision for the rest of his life.

“If he breaches these conditions, he faces an immediate return to prison.”

Related: Married couple split by Irish border because of Brexit

Tags: Colin Pitchfork

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Man finds massive coin hoard on metal detecting weekend that could be worth up to £200K

Use of social media for child grooming increases sharply

Labor topples Conservatives in Australia as Scott Morrison suffers defeat

EuroMillions Results for Friday 20 August 2021 Tonight’s winning numbers

Things to expect from the UK software development market sector

Conservative lead slashed to 3 points as Starmer calls on Labour to modernise

Coral reefs ‘have been around since the age of the dinosaurs – about 100 million years longer than thought’

10 Tips to Make Tired Skin Look Better

Life after COVID-19 lockdown

Unelected bureaucrat drafted in to manage UK’s relationship with EU

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.