Double child killer Colin Pitchfork has been arrested and recalled to prison in the UK following a breach of his licence conditions, two months after he was released.
Pitchfork was jailed for life after raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire, England in 1983 and 1986.
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 then released in September.
Pitchfork, now in his early 60s, was arrested on Friday after probation staff identified “concerning behaviours” and he is now back behind bars in a closed prison, it is understood.
He was not recalled for committing any further offences, the step was taken as a preventative measure and his victims families’ have been informed.
A Probation Service spokesman said: “Protecting the public is our number one priority so when offenders breach the conditions of their release and potentially pose an increased risk, we don’t hesitate to return them to custody.”
Public outcry
The decision to release Pitchfork prompted a public outcry amid attempts to keep him behind bars. When those failed, he was subjected to more than 40 licence conditions, which the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) described as some of the strictest “ever set”.
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, the then UK justice secretary, Robert Buckland, asked the board, which is independent of the UK 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.
Mr Buckland expressed his disappointment but said he respected the decision.
Typically there are seven standard conditions for offenders leaving prison but Pitchfork had to meet a further 36 requirements.
He is on the sex offenders’ register and had to live at a designated address, be supervised by probation, wear an electronic tag, take part in polygraph – lie detector – tests, and disclose what vehicles he uses and who he spoke to, while also facing particular limits on contact with children.
He was subject to a curfew, had restrictions on using technology, and faced limitations on where he could go.
The UK government plans to overhaul the parole system, with the findings of a review expected later this year. It has also sought to change the law so child killers face life behind bars without parole.
