The mother of a Mid Wales murder victim today said she has won her fight to keep the man who killed her son behind bars.Wendy Crompton claims she has been told by justice minister Jack Straw that Andrew Cole will not be allowed back into the community without his say-so. No-one from the Home Office was available to comment on the matter today.
Cole, of Llandrindod Wells, stabbed her 18-year-old son William and his 28-year-old girlfriend Fiona Ovis in a frenzied attack in May 1996.
But after Cole had served the minimum 11 years of his double life sentence, Mrs Crompton was shocked to learn there were plans to rehabilitate him back into the community.
In her quest for justice, Mrs Crompton approached Jack Straw about the matter at a parole board conference in January.
She says she has now received a personal letter from the minister assuring her that Cole will never be able to walk the streets without his permission.
She said: “I was told Cole could be eligible for day release and have been fighting to get any decision made to grant leave to be determined at minister level and not official level. I was absolutely delighted when I got a letter back stating that this would be the case. He should never be allowed to walk the streets again.
“This fight has taken its toll on my health and on my family but I feel that we’ve finally been heard.
“He didn’t get away with murder in the end, he will be staying where he is. I don’t think I’ll ever get peace - you never move on. You can learn to live around it but it’s always going to be there.
“But for me it was the fact that other people wouldn’t have been safe if he was allowed out.”
Mrs Crompton has three surviving children, Marc, 27, Christopher, 25, Wendy, 24, and eight grandchildren. Her second grandson is due to arrive in May.
Cole had been released from psychiatric care less than 30 hours before he traced his former girlfriend Fiona to her grandmother’s home, where she was with new boyfriend William.
Mrs Crompton, 50, has moved from her home in Newtown to West Yorkshire to escape the memories.
She now campaigns for victims’ rights and works with the parole board.
One Comment
Good! A life for a life I say. This poor woman has lost her son, the least the justice system in this sorry country can do is make sure that this murderer gets what he deserves.