Alberto Costa MP urges Prime Minister to change rules on parole hearings after Colin Pitchfork decision

Alberto Costa MP urged the Prime Minister to hold a meeting to change the rules that allowed double murderer Colin Pitchfork to continue to seek parole hearings.

At Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, the MP for South Leicestershire said: “Colin Pitchfork, a double rapist and murderer of children, has yet another parole hearing in the next few weeks.

“In addition to the brutal murders, this man exposed himself to over 1,000 girls and women. The problem is that the rules of the reconsideration mechanism allow Pitchfork to continue asking for a reconsideration of a reconsidered decision, indefinitely and at no cost to it.

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“So can I ask the Prime Minister if he will arrange a meeting between me and the Justice Secretary to discuss the necessary changes to the rules of the review mechanism?”

Rishi Sunak replied: “I know the whole House will join me in recognizing the horror of the crimes committed by Colin Pitchfork and in offering our condolences to the families of the victims. We are reforming the parole system to add ministerial control over the release of the most dangerous criminals and changing the law so that for society’s most depraved murderers – life is life.”

Mr Costa and Bosworth MP Dr Luke Evans already had a meeting with Justice Secretary Alex Chalk about Parole Board rules last month. Pitchfork was released in September 2021, but was back behind bars two months later after violating the terms of his parole.

In June last year, the Parole Board agreed he could be released, but this was later overturned on appeal. In December he appealed, and in February the Parole Board granted his request for release on the grounds that his earlier decision had been irrational.

It was the first time the Secretary of State, and then the prisoner, had successfully sought a Parole Board review.

Mr Costa said last month: “I think the Parole Board is doing an excellent job overall, but I cannot believe we are in a position where Colin Pitchfork has been able to argue that the decision not to release him is irrational “.

Mr Chalk said in response: “In the Sentencing Bill we have a proposal so that people who commit murder crimes involving sexual and sadistic behavior will not be released because they will be expected to serve an order for the whole life.”

Pitchfork raped and murdered Lynda Mann in November 1983 in Narborough. He killed Dawn Ashworth in July 1986 and left her body in Ten Pound Lane, also in Narborough.

Pitchfork was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 30 years, in 1988, later reduced on appeal to 28 years.