MP meets with Justice Secretary ahead of Pitchfork hearing

SOUTH Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa met with Dominic Raab just before he resigned as Secretary of State for Justice, due to an investigation into bullying claims, to discuss the case of the convicted and killer Colin Pitchfork ahead of his parole hearing due this month.

Mr Costa’s meeting with the then Justice Secretary came after his question to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, in which the MP raised serious concerns about the prospect of the Parole Board granting Pitchfork’s release.

Pitchfork, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988, was previously released by the Parole Board in September 2021 before being recalled to prison two months later for breaching his licence conditions.

He was due to have his next hearing in front of the Parole Board in September last year, however this was delayed and scheduled to take place in December, before again being moved to April 2023.

Mr Costa has long campaigned against the release of Pitchfork, who raped and murdered two teenage girls, Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, in his constituency in 1983 and 1986 respectively.

The MP has been highly critical of the Parole Board’s actions in directing Pitchfork for release, especially after he was recalled to prison after only a matter of weeks due to serious concerns over his behaviour.

Mr Costa said: “Following my recent question to the Prime Minister, I was very pleased to meet with the Justice Secretary to discuss the case of Colin Pitchfork ahead of his next parole hearing which is scheduled to take place in April.

“The Justice Secretary has given me his absolute assurances that the Government will be making the strongest possible case to the Parole Board in rightly opposing his release.”

Mr Costa added: “As my constituents will know, I have long campaigned to see Pitchfork remain in prison, and alongside this I have also been calling for much-needed reforms to the parole system. Therefore, I very much welcome the recent changes that the Justice Secretary has announced in giving ministers a new ‘veto’ power to stop the release of the most dangerous offenders.

“The previous debacle whereby Pitchfork was cleared for release by the Parole Board, before being quickly recalled, quite understandably shook public confidence in the parole system, and therefore I very much support these new reforms, which I hope will restore this confidence and ensure that public safety remains the absolute priority for the Parole Board.”