Carl Currey, 60, a convicted killer who twice fled custody because he "couldn't face going back to prison", has lost a legal challenge against the Parole Board's decision to refuse him freedom.
In 2004, Currey escaped from prison officials while serving a life sentence for wounding with intent, during a day trip to an aquarium in Plymouth. He fled when his only guard went to the toilet, it was claimed, before leaving the country. He ran to the Netherlands and Thailand, then travelled to work with his father's friend, Jon Harris, 70, in Torremolinos, Spain, in 2006.
Murder in Spain and deportation
Within two years of Currey fleeing the UK, the decomposing body of Mr Harris was found in his flat. After a 10-month investigation, Spanish police arrested Currey, who had been using aliases and a false passport. He was convicted of the murder and sentenced to 12 years and six months' imprisonment in 2008, though he denied committing the offence.
While serving time in Spain, he received an additional consecutive 12-month sentence for causing bodily injury to another prisoner. In 2014, he was returned to the UK to complete his sentence, but in 2022 he absconded from an open prison and remained at large for ten months.
Parole challenge rejected
Once caught, he received a further 12 months' imprisonment for escaping from lawful custody. He launched a legal challenge opposing the Parole Board's decision to refuse his freedom, claiming "while [he] has a violent history there has been no violence since 2011".
Patrick Thomas KC, speaking for the Parole Board, rejected the application, saying: "Although the tariff on [Currey's] life sentence expired 24 years ago, that is not quite the end of the matter. He has since then absconded twice and received a 14-year prison sentence for murder, and has only relatively recently become eligible for parole again."
Details of the 2022 abscond
In 2023, Canterbury Crown Court heard Currey was an inmate at Standford Hill open prison on Sheppey when he went missing again, having been trusted to return after a four-day temporary release. He "could not face going back", it was said, and remained at large. Ten months later he was found at a property in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, and arrested. He pleaded guilty to remaining unlawfully at large and received another 12-month prison sentence.
Prosecutor James Harrison told the court: "On January 7, 2022, he was released on temporary licence at 8.30am with a condition to return at 3.30pm four days later on January 11. He didn't return." Efforts to contact him by telephone failed, and Kent Police were notified. "By happenstance, he was arrested on November 10 by Sussex Police investigating another matter. He was found at an address in Sea Road, Bexhill, at 5.40am. He was asleep on the sofa, with his brother Daniel in a bedroom."
Documents relating to a "David Taylor", including his date of birth, bank card, and a bus pass with the image scratched off, were also found. "The Crown has no certainty the defendant was using that identification but it seems an inference can be drawn," added Mr Harrison. Currey, who also has a previous conviction for armed robbery for which he was jailed for eight-and-a-half years, made no comment during his interview.
Kieran Galvin, defending, described Currey as "an articulate man with a great deal of insight", suggesting he was "the kind of client he wished the judge could meet in person". He said Currey had been deemed a model prisoner in the open prison but absconded shortly after a scheduled parole hearing was cancelled when a psychologist was unable to produce a report. "Once he was out and about he said he simply couldn't face going back to prison," added Mr Galvin.
