Wife killer Russell Causley who refused to reveal where he hid her body will be set free as govt won't appeal release
31 January 2023, 22:38 | Updated: 22 February 2023, 20:30
A murderer who killed his wife and never revealed the whereabouts of his victim's body is set to be released from jail after the government decided against appealing his release.
Russell Causley was sentenced to life in prison for killing Carole Packman, who disappeared in 1985, one year after he moved her into his family home in Bournemouth, Dorset.
He was freed from prison in 2020 after serving more than 23 years for her murder, but was sent back to prison in 2021 after breaching license conditions.
He made legal history last year when he became the first prisoner to face a public parole hearing. Earlier this month, the Parole Board decided that he would be released from prison once again.
Following the Parole Board's decision, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said he was "carefully" considering an appeal against the decision.
Mr Raab described Causley as a "calculated killer" who "callously prolonged the suffering" of Ms Packman's family and friends by "refusing to reveal the whereabouts of her body".
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it would not ask the Parole Board to reconsider his release as there were no grounds to do so.
A MoJ spokeswoman said: "We have thoroughly examined the Parole Board's decision but detailed legal advice concluded there were no grounds to ask them to reconsider their decision.
"We know this will be incredibly difficult for Carole Packman's family, but Russell Causley will be under close supervision for the rest of his life and can be recalled to prison if he breaches the strict conditions of his release.
"Our parole reforms will stand up for the rights of victims in cases like this, making public safety the overriding factor in parole decisions and adding a ministerial veto on release of the most serious offenders."
