KILLER’S FREEDOM FIGHT
Mother’s Day knifeman’s shock move
KILLER boyfriend Anthony Ross is seeking his freedom - just three years after knifing Melissa Liddle to death.
Ross killed his partner and mumof-two, Melissa after hearing voices in his head saying she had been unfaithful.
He stabbed the 23-year-old florist more than 40 times in a frenzied attack at their Tyneside home in March 2015.
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was sentenced to a hospital order after doctors concluded he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia - although prosecutors had argued he should receive a prison sentence.
Melissa’s body was found by her brother Liam who, haunted by her killing, later committed suicide in a double tragedy for the devastated family.
Now her dazed loved ones have been dealt another blow after learning Ross could be applying for unsupervised leave from his secure hospital.
Although unable to comment on individual cases, the Ministry of Justice said: “Restricted patients may be allowed temporarily into the community at the request of a doctor and only after an extremely tough risk assessment.”
Melissa’s cousin Nikki Keighley has told of the family’s devastation at the development.
Nikki, 28, said: “Apparently he’s telling people that’s what he’s going for. I think it shows he just doesn’t care at all. He’s never shown any remorse for what he’s done.
“For him to try and get released - if that was me and if I’d killed the mother of my kids, the person I was supposed to have loved, if it was during a mental episode then surely when you came round you’d feel awful and you’d want to be punished.”
Nikki has started an online petition against Ross’s release, and is appealing for him to be sent to prison instead.
She said: “It might take a year or two before a decision is made on this temporary unsupervised leave but we want to push for a jail sentence.
“That is what we’ve always wanted, for him to go to prison.
“We thought that if he was in the hospital for 10 or 15 years it would be like going to prison, but it’s only been three years.
“All we want is a sentence where we know when he’s getting out and we can prepare ourselves for it.”
Ross had phoned his mother around the time he killed Melissa on
March 15, saying he’d heard voices in his head and had a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.
Melissa’s mum became worried when her daughter failed to contact her on Mother’s Day and sent her partner and son to the home on Oak Avenue, South Shields, where the couple lived.
After forcing entry, Melissa’s brother made the gruesome find.
She had suffered 35 knife injuries and there had been at least 41 applications of a sharp object, the court heard.
Melissa’s mum, Tracey Keighley, was on the phone to her son when he found his sister’s body.
In a further devastating tragedy for the family, Melissa’s brother Liam, 21, took his own life nine months later, leaving a note saying he wanted to be with his sister.
Nikki said: “Anthony basically killed Liam as well - there was no way he could go on living after what he saw. Melissa’s mam Tracey has been through so much - she’s lost two children and now looking after Melissa’s two kids.”
Nikki spoke of her fears Ross could come into contact with his two children now seven, and three.
“I’m sure he wouldn’t be allowed near them but we shouldn’t be worrying they could bump into him.
“Just knowing he’d be out would be so upsetting.
“He shouldn’t be out, he should be in there for life.”