Joanna Simpson’s killer Robert Brown WILL stay in prison after Justice Secretary blocks his automatic release
THE killer of mum Joanna Simpson will stay behind bars after the Justice Secretary blocked his automatic release.
Robert Brown hit 46-year-old Joanna at least 14 times over the head with a hammer in earshot of their two young children.
He was due to be let out of prison after just 13 years without his case being reviewed.
But Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, used new powers to stop Brown’s automatic release and referred his case to the Parole Board.
He will now undergo a risk assessment before he is considered for early release.
He may have to serve his full 26-year term for manslaughter.
The Sun launched the Justice For Joanna campaign this year to urge Mr Chalk to stop Brown’s release.
He said yesterday: “I made a commitment to Joanna’s family that I would give this case my closest personal attention.
“Having reviewed all the information available to me, I have blocked Brown’s automatic release and referred this case to the Parole Board using powers we introduced to protect the public from the most dangerous offenders.”
Yesterday, Joanna’s mum Diana Parkes said: “I am delighted.
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“We hope that the Parole Board will appreciate how dangerous Robert Brown is.”
Ex-BA pilot Brown killed Joanna at their family home in Ascot, Berks, on Halloween in 2010, and buried her in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park.