David Harker, 51, who killed mother-of-four Julie Paterson in Darlington in 1998 and later bragged about eating parts of her body with pasta, has been refused parole for the ninth time. Harker pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility and was sentenced to life in 1999.
The Parole Board held a hearing this month to determine whether Harker could be released or moved to an open prison. Despite reports of significant improvement in his behaviour in custody, with no disciplinary findings since 2015, the board concluded it was not safe to release him or transfer him to open conditions.
The panel considered a 356-page dossier, including submissions from the Secretary of State arguing against release. Harker did not attend or make representations. The parole board's summary stated that after careful analysis of all evidence, it decided not to direct release or recommend transfer to open conditions.
