Robert Brown: Renewed plea for hammer-killer case review

The mother of a woman killed by her husband will meet the new justice secretary to discuss his upcoming release from prison.

British Airways captain Robert Brown was jailed for 26 years for the manslaughter of Joanna Simpson in 2010.

He is due for automatic release in November, but Ms Simpson's mother Diana Parkes is campaigning for the case to be referred to the parole board.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk could use his powers to do so.

Brown bludgeoned his 46-year-old wife to death with a claw hammer in their family home in Windsor in October 2010 as their two young children cowered in a playroom.

He later drove her body to Windsor Great Park, where he buried her in a crate.

During his trial the court heard how a pre-nuptial agreement had caused him "continuing resentment".

He was acquitted of murder by a jury in May 2011 after previously admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Ms Parks told Good Morning Britain earlier: "I just really hope that we can get through to him that Brown is not fit to be released, and that he should stay in prison for as long as possible."

She added: "I am very concerned about his release because he will seek revenge. He will blame everybody else but himself for what he did.

"Jo's friends, my family and women in general will be in danger because he has lost everything that he had.

"He's lost his status, he has lost his high earning. But most of all he's lost his children, because they never want to see him again."

Ms Simpson's friend Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, who is also chairwoman of Refuge, said: "With manslaughter in the determinate sentence, which is what Robert Brown got, they get given a sentence but they are entitled to be let out halfway through - now two thirds of the way through.

"And that's the problem, there is no protection for the public.

"...what we're trying to do is leverage the changes that came in last year, which gives one man on this planet the ability to stop this from happening and that is Alex [Chalk]."

Both women met previous justice secretary Dominic Raab, who said he was giving the matter his "closest personal attention", but resigned a month later over bullying claims, leading to the appointment of Mr Chalk.

Brown was sentenced to 24 years for manslaughter and a further two years for an offence of obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty.

If released on licence, he will be subject to a number of conditions which if broken could put him back in prison.

The Prison Service blocked him from moving to a category D open prison in December.

The Ministry of Justice said: "The Lord Chancellor understands the anguish Mrs Parkes and Ms Barkworth-Nanton feel at the prospect of Robert Brown's release and has invited them to meet with him before he considers this case later in the year."

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].