Family’s pain at release of road rage killer
The family of Stephen Cameron, who was stabbed to death at 21 by the road rage killer Kenneth Noye, have told of their distress as the criminal prepares for his release. “Life should mean life,” said Ken Cameron, 72, whose son was killed on an M25 slip road in Kent 23 years ago. “I can’t believe they [the Parole Board] have made this decision.” The Parole Board ruled that Noye, who turns 72 tomorrow, has learnt to control his anger and is no longer a risk to others.
THE family of Kenneth Noye’s road rage murder victim yesterday spoke of their “devastation” at the gangster’s coming release.
“Life should mean life,” said Ken Cameron, 72, whose 21-year-old son, Stephen, was stabbed to death by Noye on a M25 slip road in Kent 23 years ago.
“I can’t believe they [the parole board] have made this decision. I hoped this day would never come.”
The family cannot take advantage of new rules that give victims a right to have a parole board decision reviewed because the new law enacting it is not due to be introduced until the summer.
The parole board has said career criminal Noye, who turns 72 tomorrow, has learned to control his temper and is motivated to avoid reoffending.
Mr Cameron said last night that his family would not be seeking a costly judicial review, which would be the only way to prevent Noye’s release, which is due within weeks.
However, he expressed his disgust at the fact that the killer would be a free man soon. He said: “He is going back on the streets when he should spend the rest of his days behind bars.
“Stephen was denied a life by Noye on May 19, 1996, when he left him lying in the gutter. There isn’t a day we don’t think of Stephen.
“Noye can now go and live the rest of his life as a free man while our family still grieve for Stephen every day.
“I’m sure he’ll head off to a nice little bolt-hole in Spain somewhere and live the good life.”
The new parole review mechanism was announced after the scandal over the proposed release of black cab rapist John Worboys without the knowledge of some of his victims. Under other changes brought in after that case, the parole board published a summary of its reasons for the Noye decision.
It said he “had demonstrated an ability to deal appropriately with potentially violent situations in prison and was clearly well motivated to avoid further offending in the community”.
It claimed the risk to the public from Noye had reduced due to his “current proven ability to control his emotions”, “clear life goals” and “improved victim awareness”.
Jailed for 14 years in 1986 for his part in the 1983 Brink’s-mat robbery, Noye
‘Noye can now live the rest of his life as a free man. He can head off to a bolt-hole in Spain and live the good life’
was also sentenced to life in April 2000 for the murder of Stephen and ordered to serve a minimum 16 years.
In 1985, he had stabbed and killed undercover detective John Fordham, who was investigating the Brink’s-mat case, in his garden.
He escaped punishment for that by claiming self-defence.
Noye will be on licence for the rest of his life, subject to recall to jail for breaching conditions which include staying at an agreed address.
The Ministry of Justice said: “Clearly this will be a distressing decision for the family of Stephen Cameron and our thoughts remain with them.”
A prison source said: “He had violence throughout his life. Is he going to change because he attended an anger management course? I very much doubt it but only time will tell.”