Hartlepool woman recalled to prison weeks after release on licence

Maria Pearson, 70, jailed for life in 1987 for murder, was returned to prison weeks after release for breaching licence conditions.

Hartlepool killer recalled to prison after breaching licence conditions

Maria Pearson, 70, from Hartlepool — considered Britain's longest-serving female prisoner — has been returned to jail just weeks after being released on licence, hartlepoolmail.co.uk reports.

Pearson was convicted in 1987 of the murder of Janet Newton, 23, whom a trial judge described as a victim of a "cruel and vicious" killing. She stabbed Newton to death on Grange Road, Hartlepool in 1986, after Newton became romantically involved with Pearson's ex-partner.

According to the Parole Board decision summary, Pearson had been in a bigamous relationship with her second husband at the time of the murder, remaining legally married to her first. When her second partner met Newton and moved to annul their marriage, Pearson feared losing the couple's home and custody of a child. She tracked Newton's movements before carrying out the fatal attack as Newton left her home.

Sentenced to life with a minimum term of 12 years, Pearson remained in custody far longer than that minimum. The Parole Board reviewed her case for the tenth time before granting release in August this year, finding it was "satisfied that imprisonment was no longer necessary for the protection of the public."

Conditions attached to her release included residing at a designated address, observing an electronically monitored curfew for one year, and adhering to restrictions designed to prevent contact with the victim's family. It has not been confirmed which condition she breached.

A spokesperson for HM Prison and Probation Service said: "Prisoners released on licence are kept under tight supervision. As this case shows, we do not hesitate to put them straight back behind bars if they break the rules."

Lynn Hamilton, sister of the victim Janet Newton, was reported by Teesside Live to have said: "I hope with all my heart that she stops in prison until the day she dies, there is no place in society for her, she has proven that by being recalled only two weeks after release."

Source: Sky News