Grieving father Garry Hoolickin has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to overhaul the probation system after his son was murdered by a man released on licence. Michael Hoolickin, 27, was stabbed five times outside a Manchester pub in 2016 by Timothy Deakin, who was on probation after biting off a man's ear.
Father demands reform
Michael had intervened after witnessing Deakin hitting his own sister, telling him he “shouldn’t hit a woman”. Deakin, then 23, had been released eight months earlier after serving half of a four-and-a-half-year sentence. Despite being deemed “high risk”, he was not recalled to custody even after being arrested for driving offences and possession of drugs.
An inquest found several missed opportunities by the probation service before the murder. Officials described Deakin as “feral and lawless”. Garry Hoolickin, 67, a retired footballer, said nothing has changed and called on Burnham to act.
Prime Minister's actions
Burnham had promised to support the family last year before becoming Prime Minister. Since entering No 10, he paused a scheme that could have released rapists, sex offenders and killers early to tackle prison overcrowding. He called the scheme “deplorable” and ordered an urgent review after backlash from victims’ families.
Garry Hoolickin has joined with other families to form an organisation called VOICE, which met Burnham multiple times before he became PM. The group is calling for a full inquiry into the probation system.
Family's anger
Garry said: “This kid should never have been on the street – and it was all hidden from us. He shouldn’t have been out. He should have been recalled 51 times.” He added: “If they had, my son might still be alive.”
Deakin was jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years. Four years ago, the family was informed via email that he had been moved to a lower-security Category C prison.
Government response
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with the family of Michael Hoolickin, whose murder was a tragedy. Timothy Deakin is rightly serving a life sentence for this crime. While rare, we know it’s devastating for victims and their loved ones when people supervised by probation go on to commit serious offences. The perpetrators responsible face the full force of the law, and we carry out a thorough review of supervision where a probation manager meets with loved ones to explain and apologise for any failures. We are strengthening probation services with a record extra £700m investment and are updating our Victims Code to clearly set out the support and treatment victims should expect.”
