Raab to take ‘vigorous’ look at hammer killer parole case

DOMINIC RAAB will meet the family of a woman who was battered to death with a hammer by her husband, after they appealed to block the killer’s potential release.

Robert Brown, a former British Airways pilot, was sentenced to 26 years in jail in 2011 after killing his estranged wife Joanna Simpson, 46, within earshot of their two children.

Brown, 59, is seeking to be released on parole in November after serving only half of his sentence.

The Justice Secretary vowed yesterday that he would look at Brown’s case “very vigorously” after Joanna’s mother Diana Parkes, 83, launched an appeal earlier this week to block Brown’s release.

Appearing on the BBC’S Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mr Raab promised to meet Ms Simpson’s family.

He said: “Within the powers I’ve got, I will look at this as I would any other case, very rigorously.”

Asked if he was sympathetic to blocking Brown’s release, he said: “I would risk being judicially challenged if I started to prejudice the decision I will make later.

“But I think across the board, people have noticed a change since I’ve come in as Justice Secretary.

“I’ve also been clear that I don’t think the powers are adequate, which is why I will be bringing forward legislature proposals to reform that shortly.

“I hope that is something that would have widespread support.”

The Joanna Simpson Foundation, set up by her family to campaign against domestic abuse, said in a statement yesterday: “We are very pleased the Justice Secretary has agreed to meet Joanna’s family so they can explain in their own words what they feel has gone so wrong in this case.

“We are confident that when Mr Raab is presented with all the facts he will agree with us that all action needs to be taken to prevent Robert Brown’s release.”

Brown had hidden the hammer he used in the attack in one of his children’s bags when he came to drop them off at their home in Ascot, Berkshire.

He hit his wife 14 times over the head with the implement before putting her body in his car and burying her in Windsor Great Park.

He was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter at Reading Crown Court in 2011 and sentenced to 24 years for the killing and another two years for obstructing a coroner.