Current Events > Dying murderer 'could have been released' from jail

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwygqq9n586o

A man jailed for life for the murder of his stepdaughter could have been released early on compassionate grounds when he was nearing the end of his life, a report found.

Scott Walker, from Peterborough, was given a minimum of 32 years in jail for murdering Bernadette Walker, 17, in 2020. He never revealed where her body was.

Walker died with cancer at HMP Full Sutton, in East Yorkshire, at the age of 53 in 2023.

A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has criticised the prison for not acting quickly enough to apply for early release on compassionate grounds before the killer died. It did not rule whether the application would have been successful.

During Walker's trial at Cambridge Crown Court in 2021, the jury heard Bernadette had told her mother that Walker, then 51, had been abusing her "over a number of years".

Bernadette was last seen when Walker, who was not her biological father, collected her from his parents' home in Peterborough on 18 July 2020.

It is believed he killed her then but despite extensive searches the teenager's body has never been found.

Walker died at HMP Full Sutton of acute bronchopneumonia caused by metastatic bladder cancer.

Walker was diagnosed in prison with possible bladder cancer in August 2022 and received treatment and support from the prison's healthcare team and the urology specialist nurse.

The ombudsman's findings - first reported in the Peterborough Telegraph - stated that in May 2023 he was told the cancer had spread to his bones.

He began chemotherapy but declined to have any further treatment in October, as it was making him unwell.

Walker signed a do not resuscitate order.

On 5 October, Mr Walker's prison offender manager started an early release on compassionate grounds application. She completed her report and sent it to the prison GP to complete.

However, the offender manager did not send it to the community offender manager for completion as she should have done.

"There is no evidence that the GP completed the report prior to Mr Walker's death," the report stated.

On 8 December, Walker was transferred to the healthcare unit at Full Sutton for palliative care. On the morning of 22 December, prison officers found Mr Walker unresponsive in his cell, and he was later confirmed to have died.

The ombudsman's report does not state if the application for early release would have been successful.

What is ERCG?
Release on compassionate grounds is a means by which prisoners who are seriously ill, usually with a life expectancy of less than three months, can be permanently released from custody before their sentence has expired.

Among the criteria for release is that the risk of reoffending is expected to be minimal, further imprisonment would reduce life expectancy, there are adequate arrangements for the prisoner's care and treatment outside prison, and release would benefit the prisoner and their family.

The report into Walker's death stated: "We found that despite starting an early release on compassionate grounds (ERCG) application promptly, prison staff did not request a report from probation staff and the GP at Full Sutton did not complete their report before Mr Walker died as they should have done."

It concluded that this led to the overall delay in the processing of the application once it had been submitted.

It recommended the prison's governor and the head of healthcare should ensure that ERGC applications are completed in line with policy framework by ensuring that prison staff request a report from probation staff for the application and that "all reports are completed in a timely manner".

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We have accepted and actioned the Prison and Probation Ombudsman's recommendation."

Oh well

Compassion? Towards a murderer? Isn't it enough that he got medical treatment?

fuck having compassion for these types

Im not seeing why he should have been released. Sucks for him he was sick, but the man murdered a kid. Aint much compassion in my heart

What, prison clinics can't handle palliative care?

Never got "compassionate releases" for murderers even when the criminals old and/or dying. They never were "compassionate" towards their victims. It's bleeding heart stuff.

BlueBoy675 posted...

Im not seeing why he should have been released. Sucks for him he was sick, but the man murdered a kid. Aint much compassion in my heart

Also seems to have abused and raped her and murdered her specifically to keep her quiet. To me these are exactly the type of things karmic deaths are meant for.

Southernfatman posted...

Never got "compassionate releases" for murderers even when the criminals old and/or dying. They never were "compassionate" towards their victims. It's bleeding heart stuff.

Can work in instances where the killer is sympathetic. Someone who murders someone for SAing their child, for example.

Though in the specific context of the person being discussed here? Yeah, I can't say I see the sympathetic side of them either.

Nah. If you murder someone, then you deserve to die in prison.

Paragon21XX posted...

Nah. If you murder someone, then you deserve to die in prison.

He did die in prison. They didn't let him out. They're just speculating that he was potentially eligible for the early release. He died before he could file for it I guess. There's no guarantee he would have been released.

I know it's a UK story but there's probably a parallel story about Scott Walker in Texas who is MAGA... these people are sick

He served 3 years of a 30+ year sentencewhy exactly should he have been released? And why do we care?

I prefer the idea of restorative justice over retributive justice, but if this guy's only been in there a short while and still refused to tell where the body is, then let him rot in his cell.

StopBeinMad posted...

Release on compassionate grounds is a means by which prisoners who are seriously ill, usually with a life expectancy of less than three months, can be permanently released from custody before their sentence has expired.

Among the criteria for release is that the risk of reoffending is expected to be minimal, further imprisonment would reduce life expectancy, there are adequate arrangements for the prisoner's care and treatment outside prison, and release would benefit the prisoner and their family.

Probably would not have been even accepted.

But yes, processes for these applications should ultimately still be followed.

Fuck that. Die painfully alone and rot in piss

If youve been in jail for a few decades and youre near the end of your life, Im okay with compassionate relief, even for murders

But this guy hasnt even been in there 7 years. People are stuck in jail longer on drug offensives.

People with Cancer dont get one free murder, he needs to be in jail way longer than that for me to feel compassionate enough to be okay with him being released.

I'm not losing sleep over this one

hmnut7 posted...

People with Cancer dont get one free murder, he needs to be in jail way longer than that for me to feel compassionate enough to be okay with him being released.

It's not for "people with cancer"

It's for people who have a few weeks left to live because of terminal illness. You basically have to be completely bedridden and dying to even apply.

Tyranthraxus posted...

It's not for "people with cancer"

It's for people who have a few weeks left to live because of terminal illness. You basically have to be completely bedridden and dying to even apply.

I know its not because he has cancer

Your missing the point.

IMHO terminal illness is not enough to justify compassionate release.

Were all going to die at some point, when a judge and jury give someone life in prison the belief is that person will die in jail. NOT that they will be in jail until theyre really sick and close to death.

Dying IN JAIL is part of the punishment.

Compassionate release is saying fuck it, give the circumstances were okay ignoring your punishment.

Im saying Im okay with that if theyve spent a significant amount of time in jail, this dude hasnt.

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