Telford taxi driver who murdered family in fire refused parole for second time
A taxi driver who murdered two teenagers and their mother has been denied parole for the second time, it has been reported.
Azhar Ali Mehmood, then 26, killed 16-year-old CSE victim Lucy Lowe, the mother of his child, as well as her 17-year-old sister and mother Eileen Linda Lowe, 49.
The Parole Board panel also refused to recommend a move to an open prison, according to the BBC.
The application, last turned down in 2020, was denied due to the risk to the public, it said.
Lucy was legally incapable of consent when she was targeted and groomed by Mehmood at 12 years old.
She was pregnant a second time by him when she died in the blaze.
He was jailed for murdering the three by pouring petrol inside the Leegomery house and setting it alight, but was not prosecuted for sex crimes.
Mehmood's daughter, who was found wrapped in blankets after the fire, has previously criticised the justice system for not prosecuting her father for child sex offences.
A recent inquiry into child sex abuse in Telford, which referenced the case, found crimes were ignored for generations, leading to more than 1,000 girls being abused.
The inquiry heard from witnesses who recounted that Lucy's murder would often be used by perpetrators of child sexual exploitation to frighten victims.
The Parole Board told the BBC it had "carefully examined a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of [Mehmood's] behaviour change".
It refused his application to be released, saying "decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released".
Mehmood will be eligible for another review in due course, the Parole Board added.
