Colin Pitchfork, a 65-year-old double child killer, will remain in prison after the Parole Board denied his release on Thursday. The panel also refused to recommend his transfer to an open prison facility.
The Parole Board said: «The panel considered Mr Pitchfork to only have limited internal controls and poor insight into his risky thinking and behaviour. It did not believe that Mr Pitchfork had made sufficient progress in addressing and reducing risk to a level that would be consistent with placement in an open prison.»
Pitchfork was convicted in 1988 for raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire. He became the first person in the UK convicted using DNA profiling evidence. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years, later reduced to 28 years.
Fresh misconduct allegation
The panel considered a new allegation about Pitchfork's conduct in custody. The board stated: «The panel considered a fresh allegation that had been made against Mr Pitchfork in respect of his conduct in custody towards a younger prisoner. On the balance of probabilities, it was satisfied that Mr Pitchfork had behaved in the way that had been alleged.»
Professional witnesses at the hearing did not support his release. The decision followed a four-day hearing held across March, May and October.
Previous release failed
Pitchfork was first released in September 2021 but recalled to prison two months later for breaching licence conditions. He had approached a lone woman while on litter-picking duty. In June 2023, the Parole Board ruled his recall was flawed, but then-Justice Secretary Alex Chalk blocked the decision and ordered a review.
South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa welcomed the decision. He said: «At 65 years old, he still has decades of life ahead of him and the capacity to pose a real risk to the public, that is why I welcome the Parole Board's decision today. Their job is to assess risk, and it is obvious to me that the world is a far more dangerous place if Pitchfork is released.»
Philip Musson, uncle of victim Dawn Ashworth, expressed relief. He told reporters: «I'm satisfied and relieved at this news because I don't want anybody else to fall victim to Pitchfork. The Parole Board must have decided that he posed too great a risk to the general public to be released.»
Pitchfork can apply for reconsideration within 21 days. The Ministry of Justice will set the date for his next review.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
