Police killer Harry
Roberts is to be released from prison after serving more than 45 years behind
bars.
He was jailed for life for the murder of three policemen in
Shepherd's Bush, west London, in 1966 and told he would never be released.
Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Steve
White says he is appalled at the decision.
"Let’s not forget, this menace murdered three unarmed
police officers in cold blood and it is abhorrent news," he said.
"This decision by the parole board is a slap in the
face for the families of the three police officers he brutally murdered who,
once again, are forced to re-live their pain and loss. It will spark fury among
everyone in the police family who will feel badly let down.
The officers were shot, in what was later called the
massacre of Braybrook Street, after they pulled over a van containing Roberts
and two others.
PC Geoffrey Fox, 41, Sergeant Christopher Head, 30, and
Detective Constable David Wombwell, 25, had approached the van after seeing it
parked near Wormwood Scrubs prison.
The officers were in plain clothes and had approached the
van after suspecting a prison break. In fact the men were preparing to commit
an armed robbery.
Roberts shot dead Mr Wombwell and Mr Head, while Mr Fox was
killed by another member of the gang.
Roberts was given three life sentences for the murders and
his 30 year minimum tariff expired 18 years ago.
The 78-year-old has now been approved for release by the
Parole Board.
On his release from Littlehey Prison in Cambridge he will be
subject to close monitoring by the Probation Service.
An Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The release of
life sentence prisoners is directed by the independent Parole Board once they
are satisfied they can be safely managed in the community.
"Once released they are subject to strict controls for
as long as their risk requires them. If they fail to comply with these
conditions they can be immediately returned to prison. Offenders managed
through Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa) are monitored and
supervised by probation, police and other agencies."
After the murders Roberts went on the run for three months.
He used his Army-based jungle training to camp out in
Hertfordshire and elude capture for more than 90 days.
When he was finally brought to justice, Mr Justice
Glyn-Jones said it was a "heinous" crime and told him: "I think
it likely that no Home Secretary regarding the enormity of your crime will ever
think fit to show mercy by releasing you on licence."
He would have faced the death penalty but it was abolished
eight months prior to his sentence.
Earlier this year Justice Minister Chris Grayling announced
plans to change the law so that the killers of police or prison officers would
face whole-life prison terms.
Speaking at the time,Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said:
"Police officers play a vital role in keeping communities safe. As has
been tragically demonstrated in recent years, this role is a dangerous one
which can lead to officers paying the ultimate price while serving their
community.
"It is essential that police and prison officers feel
the full weight of the state is behind them as they fulfil their crucial
duties."
Mr White added: “We pride ourselves on having a largely
unarmed police service in England and Wales. However, in turn, we expect the
judicial system to provide the deterrent needed to help protect police officers
from injury or serious harm while doing their duty.
"In May 2013, the Home Secretary said she would
introduce legislation to make sure life really does mean life for people who
murder police officers. We cannot go on waiting; this needs to happen urgently.
This decision by the Parole Board will do nothing to give confidence to police
officers and the public that the most serious and dangerous offenders will
remain behind bars.”
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, refused to comment on the
move to release Roberts.
Arriving at an engagement in central London, she said:
"It's a decision by the independent Parole Board."
Last year Mrs May announced that she would legislate for all
police killers to receive "whole life" tariffs, meaning they would
die in jail.
However, it would not be possible to impose the new
sentencing powers retrospectively.
The Parole Board said in a statement: "We can confirm
that a three-member panel of the board has directed the release of Harry
Roberts. The decision to release is a matter for the board, which is
independent - arrangements and the date of the release are a matter for the
Secretary of State for Justice. We are unable to comment further on the details
of this case."
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said people would be
"absolutely sickened" by the news.
“They will find it hard to understand how a man who shot
dead three police officers in this city in the most horrific fashion can now
enjoy the freedom he denied his victims," he said.
"To my mind, in the case of the murder of a police
officer, life should mean life.”
While serving his sentence, Roberts was rejected for parole
after it was revealed he was harassing pensioner Joan Cartwright, 65, on a
daily basis after working at her animal sanctuary on day release.
He telephoned her almost every day for four years after
suspecting she had given evidence which blocked his attempt to gain parole.
The calls, in which he spoke of tearing "limb from
limb" anyone who spoke against him, coincided with a campaign of attacks
on animals at the sanctuary which she ran.
Attacks included a horse slashed with an axe, another
blinded with an iron bar, a cat electrocuted, a peacock strangled and a donkey
which had to be put down after being beaten.
Mrs Cartwright and her son, James, raised concerns about
Roberts in 2001 while he was working at the sanctuary on day release from an
open prison.
She said he forced her to pick him up and drive him around
in her car and demanded that she cook him breakfast every day, flying into a
rage if his egg was not fried to his exacting requirements, she claimed.
Roberts's day release was cancelled abruptly and he was
moved away from the open prison after the Cartwrights passed on their concerns.
Credit: The Telegraph
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