Anger at violent thug set free from jail to kill
VICTIM’S DAD TELLS INQUEST ATTACKER WAS NOT RECALLED TO PRISON DUE TO PROBATION MISTAKES
THE father of a man stabbed to death by a violent criminal has spoken of his anguish at learning how his son’s killer had been released early from jail for a brutal attack.
Michael Hoolickin, 27, was killed by Timothy Deakin, 22, outside a pub in Middleton. Deakin was out on licence at the time for biting off half of a man’s ear - having served half of a four year and eight months sentence.
An inquest into Michael’s death heard that before the killing, Deakin was suspected of breaching his licence by carrying weapons, dealing drugs and being with a co-defendant.
On top of this, he was charged with a driving offence and repeatedly breached a requirement to be at home for scheduled police visits, the inquest heard, but wasn’t sent back to jail, escaping with an official warning.
In October 2016, having been at large for eight months, Deakin stabbed Michael five times, a crime for which he was jailed for life, with a minimum of 27 years to serve.
Speaking at the inquest, Michael’s father Garry Hoolickin, a retired footballer with more than 200 appearances for Oldham Athletic over 14 years, said: “As a family, we want a definite change. We don’t want this to happen to another family. It’s nearly killed myself and my wife. It’s absolutely disgraceful, I think, what’s going on.”
The inquest heard Deakin had been released from prison on February 23, 2016, having passed a drugs test.
He was subjected to ten conditions, including that he stay at first at a hostel for newly released prisoners and abide by a curfew and agree to drug testing.
He later tested positive for cannabis - which he dismissed as ‘a social thing’ - and also cocaine, but still remained a free man, the inquest heard.
Police intelligence from June 2016, sent to the probation service, suggested he had been carrying weapons and had been seen with a co-defendant, both potential breaches of his licence.
When he was charged with a driving offence, the curfew - which had been lifted - was reinstated, although again he was allowed to remain at large, the inquest heard.
He was also arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis with intent to supply but the court heard no further action was taken.
Deakin, who had been attending appointments with probation, was given a formal warning but not recalled to prison, the inquest was told.
The inquest heard a risk assessment on his release had concluded there was a 71 per cent chance of him committing another violent offence within a year.
Garry Hoolickin told the inquest he was unhappy when he was told that Deakin was a prolific offender being supervised by probation workers when his son died. He said probation workers later visited his home and one admitted that Deakin should have been recalled to prison.
Mr Hoolickin said: “I asked, if they had done their job in the right way my son would still have been alive today and she replied ‘yes.’ It was pretty shocking news.”
He said he was told by the probation worker they were ‘so sorry’ and that ‘there have been mistakes made.’
Mr Hoolickin told the inquest that what had happened to his son ‘could have been avoided.’
Earlier, he had described Michael as a ‘cracking lad’ who had worked for a window fitting firm and was ‘well loved’ and missed by his son, who was aged four at the time of his death.
Proceeding