Board refuses to reverse murderer release decision

The Parole Board has refused to overturn its direction to release a convicted murderer who stabbed a woman 60 times.

Steven Ling was jailed for life in 1998 for murdering Joanne Tulip, 29, in Stamfordham, Northumberland, on Christmas Day in 1997.

The board was asked by the Lord Chancellor to reconsider its September ruling Ling should be released after serving 27 years of his life sentence.

Doreen Soulsby, Ms Tulip's mother, said she was "terrified" about his release and and feared "any woman that Ling becomes involved with will not be safe".

Ling, who was 23 at the time of the murder, admitted rape but the charge was left to lie on file meaning he has not been classed as a sex offender.

A Parole Board spokesman said "based on the evidence" the application for reconsideration "will be refused".

"Decisions of the Parole Board are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public and whether that risk is manageable in the community," he said.

"When assessing the reconsideration application, the judge recognised the very significant gravity of the case and the profound ongoing impact on the victim's family."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said it was "disappointed" with the outcome but "respect the independent Parole Board's decision".

"Ling will be on licence for the rest of his life, with strict conditions and probation supervision after he is released, and he faces an immediate return to prison if he breaks the rules," they added.

Mrs Soulsby said the "pain" of losing her daughter would "never fade".

"A dangerous man who committed the most horrific and sadistic crimes will now be released straight out into the community and will be roaming our streets," she said.

"I am now very worried and terrified about the release of my daughter's murderer."

She said after the outcome, public confidence in the justice system would "be broken and shattered forever with no way of repairing it".

"How can anyone have faith in our justice system when victims get these outcomes?"

Ling was initially ordered to serve at least 20 years behind bars, but in 2009 a High Court judge cut the minimum term to 18 years.

At the time of sentencing, Mr Justice Potts told Ling: "You will never be released so long as it is thought you constitute a danger to women."

The Parole Board judgement said Ling had since admitted committing a number of acts of indecent exposure before he murdered Ms Tulip and for which he was not caught.

In its ruling, the Parole Board said: "Mr Ling has always accepted that he raped the victim."

The panel accepted he had undertaken an official programme to address his violent and sexual offending, and his conduct in prison "has largely been exemplary".

At a hearing in July this year, two psychologists agreed that Ling should be freed from prison and spoke about his enduring "shame" about his "monstrous" past.

His pending release was subject to conditions which included informing the authorities of any relationships he might develop, being subject to monitoring and a curfew, and staying out of an exclusion zone to avoid contact with his victim's family.

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