Raab to examine if he can block release of wife killer

DOMINIC RAAB has pledged to review whether he can block the release of a wife killer after meeting the mother and close friend of the victim.

A campaign, backed by Carrie Johnson, the wife of former prime minister Boris Johnson, has been launched by the family and friends to halt the release of Robert Brown, who bludgeoned to death his estranged wife Joanna Simpson with a claw hammer as their children cowered in their home. Brown, a former British Airways pilot, admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and was jailed in May 2011 for 26 years. He is due for parole in November.

After the meeting with Joanna’s mother Diana Parkes and her close friend, Hetti Barkworth-nanton, Mr Raab said he was giving the case his “closest personal attention” and would be reviewing it “very carefully.”

He could use powers in the police, crime, sentencing and courts (PCSC) Act 2022 to refer the case to a parole board to determine whether his automatic release at the halfway point of his incarceration should be overruled.

The law stipulates the power should be used in rare cases where there is strong evidence that the public may be at risk of serious harm or there may be a national security threat if the offender were to be released.

It emerged yesterday that the Prison Service stopped Brown moving to an open prison in December last year.

Mr Raab said: “Joanna Simpson was brutally killed in a heinous and despicable act which has changed the lives of her family and friends forever. I was humbled to meet Joanna’s mother and best friend to extend my deepest sympathies for what her family has been through and assure her that I am giving this case my closest personal attention and will be reviewing it very carefully.

“Public protection is my top priority. I want dangerous offenders … behind bars for longer. This is why we’ve already introduced tougher sentences for the worst offenders, ended the automatic halfway release for serious crimes and are reforming parole to keep prisoners who pose a risk to the public off our streets.” At an emotional launch earlier this month of the campaign to block Brown’s automatic release, Mrs Johnson spoke of her experience as a victim of John Worboys, the black cab rapist, when she heard he was to be released from jail.

“I knew that feeling from my own experience when I found out that taxi cab rapist John Worboys was due to be released much earlier than we thought, with no explanation as to why,” she said.

“I remember feeling really scared. I won’t go into details but it was a similar injustice. The law was letting victims down and failing to protect women.”