Killer Noye wins his fight over move to open prison
ROAD rage killer Kenneth Noye yesterday won a High Court battle against a decision to block his move to an open prison.
Parole Board officials had recommended the gangster be transferred to a category D open prison as he nears the end of a life sentence.
But the move was rejected by then Justice Secretary Michael Gove in October 2015.
The killer, who had earlier stabbed a police officer to death, challenged Mr Gove’s ruling as “unlawful and irrational”.
Yesterday he won the case and his proposed move to an open prison will now be decided by Mr Gove’s successor Liz Truss.
Mr Justice Lavender over-ruled the former Justice Secretary, saying: “It will be for the current Secretary of State to take a fresh decision whether or not to transfer the claimant to an open prison.”
Noye, 69, was jailed for life in April 2000 for the road rage stabbing of Stephen Cameron, 21, on an M25 slip road in Swanley, Kent, in 1996.
Stephen’s girlfriend, Danielle Cable, 17, witnessed the killing and had to join the witness protection programme after giving evidence against Noye.
After killing Mr Cameron, Noye fled to Spain with the help of John “Goldfinger” Palmer, who was shot dead by a mystery assassin in 2015.
After a tip-off, Noye was arrested and extradited to Britain.
Stephen’s parents Ken and Toni Cameron were at the Old Bailey to hear a judge order Noye to serve at least 16 years before he could be considered for release. That period is now over and his lawyers argue he poses significantly less risk to the public than he did when he killed Mr Cameron.
Noye is in a category C prison. A category D open prison is the last stage of a long-term prisoner’s time in custody before release.
Born and brought up in Kent, Noye rose from schoolboy thief to become one of Britain’s most notorious criminals. In 1985, he stabbed undercover police officer John Fordham to death in the garden of his home in West Kingsdown, Kent.
Noye was joined by his friend, Hatton Garden burglar Brian Reader, and both men were charged with murder.
But they were sensationally acquitted at the Old Bailey after claiming self-defence. DC Fordham was part of a Scotland Yard team investigating the £26million Brink’sMat robbery in 1983. Both Noye and Reader were later jailed for handling bullion from the raid.
Outlining his decision to block the Parole Board’s recommendation, Mr Gove said he doubted Noye’s claims that he had changed his attitude to violence. He said he was also concerned about the gangster’s links to Spain, the “risk of absconding”, his use of extreme violence and an ego demanding he is in control.
But Mr Justice Lavender ruled yesterday: “The Secretary of State approached the assessment of both the risk of future violence and the related risk of absconding on an inappropriate basis.”
The Ministry of Justice said it would consider the court’s findings.