Life in prison should mean life?

The news that Kenneth Noye has been released from prison makes me sad and angry for the injustice. It makes a mockery of the words 'life in prison'.

In 1996 Kenneth Noye stabbed to death twenty one year old Stephen Cameron in a road rage incident. It happened on the M25 in front of Stephen's seventeen year old fiancé. I cannot imagine the horror of witnessing something like this. There has been one murder in my family many years ago, a stabbing. The repercussions still resound today. Not only that but, although it was an aunt, I recall the agony of the family when the murderer came up for parole each time. I have no idea how someone in prison is assessed for release but do wonder how anyone can tell that someone is 'contrite', has good conduct (in prison?!), and 'maturity' as is in the case of Kenneth Noye. The environment of prison is completely different to that of the real outside world as you are cocooned, and in a false state of reality. Everything is provided for you, and you have little interaction with anyone except those keeping you there, those assessing you and other inmates. 

There are degrees of murder, first and second, and also voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. All result in the death of a person. As a result the sentencing of those that carry out these crimes are subject to the interpretation of the law, and it is hard to categorise when people who commit them should be rehabilitated on the outside of prison. 

The case of Kenneth Noye is indisputably that of murder, witnessed and proven. He was given a life sentence with a minimum of sixteen years to serve. Personally I think that when a sentence states life, it should mean exactly that. A lifetime in confinement with no access to the outside world. Kenneth Noye will have restrictions to his release, but the parole board have decided he is ready to return to the community. Previous requests in 2015 and 2017 were turned down. He is now seventy one and has been deemed to be no threat to anyone. 

Do I think his restrictions are enough? Well he has to see a probation officer regularly, has restrictions on oversea travel, exclusion zones, and live in supervised accommodation. No, I don't think they are enough. The family are devastated at his release, and I can understand why. To know that someone is walking around living their lives freely is harsh when a loved one has been murdered by that person. To know you may accidentally see or meet them must be even worse. Kenneth Noye committed another serious crime before his murder of Stephen Cameron. He handled stolen bullion from a Heathrow Airport heist. Kenneth Noye also stabbed ten times and killed a police officer, Detective Constable John Fordham, at his home in 1985. The Detective Constable was investigating Kenneth Noye's links to the heist. Kenneth Noye was imprisoned for handling the stolen goods but cleared of murder or manslaughter on the grounds of self defence. I suggest stabbing someone ten times is not an act of self defence, but an act of deliberately wanting to stop someone permanently. 

The fact that he has stabbed and killed two people on separate occasions suggest to me he should not be released at all. He is a murderer twice over, and as such should be staying in prison, locked away for life. He should not even have been allowed to live in an open prison, as he has been since 2017. Neither should he have been allowed to visit his home unescorted since last year, as has been reported. Kenneth Noye should not be allowed out with the general public at all. In fact I have no idea why I am mentioning his name as it only adds to his notoriety, so all I want to say is how long before he does it again? How long?

My sympathies go out to the family of Detective Constable John Fordham and Stephen Cameron.