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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Killers released to kill again

44 replies

Popchyk · 27/03/2018 17:58

Has it struck anyone else that we seem to have a spate of convicted killers let out of prison who go on to kill (women) again?

Three cases in the last three months.

  • Stephen Unwin and William McFall murdered Quyen Ngoc Nguyen. Both were already convicted murderers and had met in prison before killing her. Express link
  • Theodore Johnson (jailed after killing 3 of his partners or former partners) BBC link

And of course John Worboys is set to be released because he is no longer a threat to society.

Also Robert Trigg last year was jailed for killing two of his partners (having initially got away with the first one for years).

Doesn't exactly generate great faith in the system, does it?

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RochelleGoyle · 13/04/2018 16:49

Elendon it's not true that 'the majority' go on to commit an offence of equal seriousness. When murderers are sentenced most have never committed a murder before either. A variety of factors about their previous and current circumstances are assessed, which allows an assessment of future risks. My point is that making such assessments, and it's these that inform Parole Board decisions, is not an exact science. The fact is, the majority of murderers simply do not go on to murder again. Someone with a history of DV assaults might have a far higher likelihood of re-offending and perpetrate abuse across several relationships, with multiple victims. But you're probably not going to see them in the national press. Unfortunately, mistakes will be made and there is a limit to how much any risk assessment can predict future behaviour.

Elendon · 13/04/2018 16:58

I said the majority go on to repeat the crime.

As this is specifically about killers released to kill again. Please keep on topic.

RochelleGoyle · 13/04/2018 17:24

I am on topic. As I said, the majority of killers will not kill again. My reference to DV assaults was just to illustrate a point. There's no need to be snippy just because you don't like what I've written.

kesstrel · 13/04/2018 17:47

I suspect most of these men are high on psychopathic traits - which unfortunately often means that they will be very good at lying and deceit, and able to present a convincing picture of being rehabilitated. In addition, rehabilitation/therapy programmes sometimes unwittingly clue them in on how they need to present themselves in order to be paroled. The issue of psychopathy still doesn't seem to be being addressed, as far as I am aware, when it comes to parole.

Elendon · 13/04/2018 18:52

I'm simply pointing out, respectfully, that you have misquoted me. Which you have. Rochelle

I disagree with you. And you disagree with me.

You called me snippy.

RochelleGoyle · 13/04/2018 19:08

Elendon sorry, what did I misquote? Genuine question, I really didn't think I had.

RochelleGoyle · 13/04/2018 19:14

The Homicide Index shows that of 518 homicides committed in the year ending March 2015 there were 3 convictions for homicide offences for suspects who had a previous conviction for homicide.

Source Office for National Statistics

RochelleGoyle · 13/04/2018 19:17

Another example, this time not from the UK but from Australia:

A preliminary study by the authors of 894 Western Australian males arrested for homicide offences during the period 1984-2005, and subsequently released from prison, found that 177 (19.8%) of the 894 were subsequently re-arrested for another grave offence (any violent offence including breaking into a dwelling) by the end of the follow-up time (December 31, 2005). Among these 177 men, 13 (7.3%) were in fact re-arrested for another homicide offence.

Source: [[http://criminology.research.southwales.ac.uk/features/reoffending/
Criminology research from the University of South Wales]]

Elendon · 13/04/2018 19:29

Three is three too many.

RochelleGoyle · 13/04/2018 19:31

Yes, it is too many - but it's not a majority.

MrsTerryPratchett · 13/04/2018 20:28

I'm curious why @RochelleGoyle is getting a hard time on this. The recidivism rate for murder is generally very low. It's very high for sexual offending for example and I think rapists are given massively pathetic sentences and released without really taking into account risk.

And there does seem to be a small ate of violent men reoffending. And we should look at the reasons. But that doesn't mean anything approaching a majority of murderers murder again.

Unless life means life for all murders (and there are really good reasons that's not the case) some murderers will be released.

MrsTerryPratchett · 13/04/2018 20:29

Small ate would be spate

Popchyk · 14/01/2019 11:30

This is an old thread but thought I'd update.

Perhaps these offences detailed above were not just coincidences, but part of an escalating overall pattern of violent offenders being released to offend again.

Grayling under fire as serious crimes committed on parole soar by 50%

Guardian report

From the article:

"The Observer has learned that any lapses in the supervision of serious offenders are set to be examined in court following a decision to reopen inquests into the deaths of three people who were killed by offenders under supervision.

As a result, previously confidential documents, including serious case reviews and risk assessments, will be shared with the victims’ families.

Alex Malcolm, five, died in 2016, after being attacked by Marvyn Iheanacho who was in a relationship with his mother. Iheanacho had been convicted of attacks on previous partners and children. A condition of his supervision was that he was not to be left alone with a child.

Lisa Skidmore was raped and murdered in 2016 by Leroy Campbell, a registered sex offender who was under supervision on probation. A review revealed that six weeks before he killed Skidmore, Campbell had told his probation officer he was having feelings that were “troubling him” and mentioned rape.

Conner Marshall, 18, was beaten to death by David Braddon in south Wales in 2015. Braddon, who had taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, had missed eight separate probation appointments in the weeks leading up to the attack.

The coroners have agreed to resume the inquests so that lessons can be learned to prevent future deaths and because, it is argued, the state may have failed in its duty to safeguard the right to life".

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Purplewithgreenspots · 14/01/2019 20:16

Lessons will be learned again. But will they?

FlyingOink · 14/01/2019 20:33

Campbell had told his probation officer he was having feelings that were “troubling him” and mentioned rape
What would the probation officer do with this information? Presumably nothing except flag it as a concern? I'm guessing you can't recall someone to prison for saying something like that. I feel sorry for anyone in that kind of job, social worker, probation officer, etc
Prisons are failing, dangerous and overcrowded. Prison officers are leaving in droves. Grayling is a grade A idiot who makes even Gove look competent by comparison.
We need to spend a lot more money on it all but nobody will vote for that, sadly.

PineappleSunrise · 14/01/2019 20:51

Very likely the probation officer would flag the issue to someone. But since the probation service was reformed (outsourced to eight separate private companies), the likelihood of the right and left hands not knowing what's happening has increased.

Fragmentation is really not helpful for joined-up monitoring of offenders.

Popchyk · 22/02/2019 23:07

Another killer of a woman who was released to kill again.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/21/redcar-man-given-life-for-smothering-partner-had-killed-before?CMP=share_btn_tw

Redcar man given life for smothering partner had killed before

Paul Plunkett, 62, sentenced to a minimum of 23 years after killing Barbara Davison last year

"It was revealed on Thursday that he had been sentenced to three years in prison in 1996 for the manslaughter of Jacqueline Aspery.
In that case, he applied so much pressure to Aspery’s throat that he fractured the cartilage around her larynx".

So he got 3 years for strangling Jacqueline Asprey to death. Presumably served 18 months.

Also had a string of convictions for violence against women. Of course.

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feministfairy · 22/02/2019 23:26

There's a never ending stream of these men Sad

Popchyk · 23/02/2019 09:56

A lot of these men seem to get short sentences for their first killing.

Paul Plunkett was sentenced to 3 years for killing Jacqueline Aspery (presumably served 18 months). He got out and killed Barbara Davison.

Simon Mellors got life for the first murder. He was handed a minimum term of 14 years, which was reduced on appeal in 2008 to 12 years after a judge ruled the murder was the result of ‘intense strain, mild to moderate depression, extreme frustration and inebriation’. He got out and killed Janet Scott.

Theodore Johnson was convicted of manslaughter of his wife Yvonne Johnson by provocation for his first killing. The judge described Johnson as a "battered husband". Sentenced to 3 years. He got out and killed Yvonne Bennett.

After his second killing, he was sent to a secure hospital indefinitely but released four years later. He got out and killed Angela Best.

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