September 20th 2023.
In 1990, Reginald Wilson, aged 26, committed a heinous act of brutality when he bludgeoned Dr. David Birkett to death with a hammer in Middlesborough. Psychiatrists said Wilson had the words "psychopath" and "chaos" tattooed across his head, and that he had killed the doctor "for the hell of it". He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 30 years in prison.
Years later in 2019, Wilson, now aged 59, was recommended by parole bosses to be moved to an open prison, which could pave the way for his potential release. However, then Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, stepped in to block the move. The decision was challenged in the High Court, where it was found to be unlawful.
The court heard how the decision to keep Wilson in prison was made at "breakneck speed" without considering important parole board information. It was reported that a civil servant delegated by Raab only took two hours and seventeen minutes to read a 41-page psychological report before making the decision.
Wilson had fooled his way into Dr. Birkett's home under the pretense of delivering a package. He then proceeded to beat the father-of-three with a hammer, dragging him into his study and striking him at least 17 times. Police later found a sawn-off shotgun and 73 cartridges in Wilson's home, alongside other weapons.
Despite all this, a parole panel still concluded that Wilson posed a low risk of absconding. However, Raab refused his prison move in a letter, claiming that the "benefits of a transfer to open conditions should not outweigh the risk posed to the public". The High Court judge concluded that Raab had not made sufficient attempts to obtain oral evidence from the parole hearing, and thus the decision was ruled unlawful.
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