Niece’s shock after facing uncle who killed dad in house blaze
AWOMAN has spoken of her horror after claiming she came face to face with her killer uncle after he was unexpectedly given a temporary release on licence from prison after serving 18 years behind bars.
Shocked Karly Whitelock was behind the wheel of her car when she believes she saw Brian Whitelock walking down the street in Swansea.
Whitelock had been drinking with his brother, Glen, and his brother’s friend, Nicholas Morgan, 27, when he became embroiled in a drunken row and battered Mr Morgan to death with a hammer in October 2000, leading him to be sentenced to life for Mr Morgan’s murder.
Whitelock was also given a 10-year sentence for the manslaughter of his brother, Glen Whitelock, of Blaenymaes, after he set his Portmead Avenue house ablaze while his brother was sleeping to disguise Mr Morgan’s death.
Both families have now joined forces by launching a petition to stop Whitelock being set free.
Karly Whitelock, a 27-year-old mum from Portmead, claimed: “I was on my way out of town last Wednesday and he was walking down the road.
“I was sitting in the car at the trafficlights and he walked down past High Street – I just froze and went into a world of my own and he was gone.
“I drove up the road and went up to the roundabout and came back down. We couldn’t see him anywhere, he was gone.”
She added: “It did not feel real as we did not know if he was out or not. I know what he looks like – it was definitely him. It was a strange feeling.
“None of us have spoken to him since it happened. He’s evil. There are no other words for him.”
Karly was aged 10 when her father was killed and her world was destroyed.
“I’ve lost confidence since that happened, it’s hard,” she added. “I left school early and got home-tutored.
“It’s just awful to be honest, it’s a bit of a shock, none of us knew he was out.”
Her sister, Kelly Phillips, 30, of Penplas, remembered the moment she was told the devastating news of her father’s death as if it was yesterday.
Through tears, she added: “It’s ruined our lives, my sister is a bit shocked still after seeing him, I think.
“Everyone is in bits over it, none of us got told either.”
Nicholas Morgan’s sister, Gemma Long, was horrified when she heard Brian Whitelock had apparently been spotted last Wednesday.
The mother of three is now battling to keep the “vile evil monster” who murdered her brother from being released into Swansea, and has launched a petition.
She claimed she was given no indication Whitelock was going before the Parole Board or that there was any chance he was likely to be let out of jail any time soon, and said she feared coming face to face with him.
Mrs Long, 33, of Portmead, said her family had been handed a “sentence” and Whitelock had only been made to serve nearly 18 years.
She said: “He’s a vile, evil monster. We have been given a sentence – he was given life for my brother and 10 years for manslaughter, he has only been in for 18 years. He killed his own brother.”
She added: “The Parole Board have completely failed us, they did not contact us to say that he was having a parole hearing.
“We rang Probation and they said they had let him out a few days here and there for release. They do not notify us when he is out – it’s ridiculous.
“We were told he would never be allowed back to Swansea.”
She said there was not a day that went by when she did not think of her brother Nicky, as she affectionately calls him, and she has a picture of him on her mobile phone so he is with her always.
Mrs Long was 16 when Whitelock was before the court and heard every detail of the trial, which she lives with to this day.
Following the loss of her father when she was a child, her brother’s killing was even harder to bear.
Whitelock had denied both charges.
Christopher Llewellyn-Jones, prosecuting the case, said at the time that Whitelock had poured petrol over the body of Mr Morgan, and set it on fire.
A Parole Board spokesman added: “We can confirm the parole review of Mr Brian Whitelock has been referred to the Parole Board and is following the standard sixmonth process.”
The Ministry of Justice added: “We do not comment on individual cases.”
A Prison Service spokesman said: “All offenders must meet strict criteria and pass a full risk assessment before being considered for release on temporary licence.”
■ *Anyone wishing to sign the petition should go to: https:// www.change.org/p/home-officeprevent-brian-whitelock-beingreleased-intoswansea?recruiter =426132762&utm_ source=share_petition&utm_ medium=facebook&utm_ campaign=autopublish&utm_ term=share_for_starters_ page&utm_content=ex86%3Av3