A former British Airways captain who killed his millionairess wife with a claw hammer has lost a court bid to be freed from prison. Robert Brown, 47 at the time of the killing, bludgeoned Joanna Simpson, 46, to death at her home in Ascot, Berkshire, in October 2010, within earshot of their two children, then aged nine and ten.
Brown was due for automatic release in November after serving half of his 26-year sentence for manslaughter, but Justice Secretary Alex Chalk referred the case to the Parole Board in October 2023, blocking his release. The High Court dismissed Brown's appeal against this move, with Mr Justice Ritchie ruling there were 'good grounds for believing' Brown posed a 'high risk to the public of serious harm' and needed full assessment.
Brown's legal team argued the referral was improperly motivated, claiming he was 'subjected to a high-profile campaign through the media and with politicians that has sought to block his release'. However, government lawyers countered that Brown had 'persistently refused to engage in the rehabilitative elements of his sentence'.
Brown was found not guilty of murder after a jury heard that the couple's bitter divorce proceedings had placed him under great stress. He was sentenced to 24 years for manslaughter and a further two years for obstructing a coroner. He had buried Ms Simpson's body in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park before confessing to police the following day.
Ms Simpson's mother, Diana Parkes, who had previously met with ministers to stall Brown's release, commended the court's decision, stating: 'Brown committed the most horrific crime against my loving and caring daughter, Jo. He must be kept in prison.' Her best friend Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, chair of domestic abuse charity Refuge, called it a 'landmark decision' that could open up this power to other dangerous offenders who refuse rehabilitation.
