Road-rage killer Kenneth Noye is to be released from prison after a Parole Board panel concluded he was “suitable for return to the community”.
The 71-year-old, who is currently in Standford Hill open prison in Kent, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years in 2000.
He stabbed 21-year-old Stephen Cameron to death on a slip road to the M25 in Swanley, Kent, in 1996, in front of Cameron’s 17-year-old fiancee.
Noye then went on the run to Spain, claiming he could not get a fair trial in the UK, before he was extradited back to Britain and convicted.
The Parole Board’s decision said: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was satisfied that Mr Noye met the test for release and was suitable for return to the community.”
His release is subject to the following licence conditions:
- To comply with requirements to reside at a designated address, be of good behaviour, and report as required for supervision or other appointments
- To comply with other identified limitations concerning contacts, activities, residency and exclusion zones
- To continue to address defined areas of risk.”
The Parole Board’s risk assessment of Noye said he had “addressed his risk factors appropriately and had reduced his risk to the public” and a “robust risk management plan” would be put in place.
This includes a “requirement to reside at a designated address and very close monitoring of Mr Noye’s situation and behaviour”.
It added: “The panel noted a number of protective factors... including Mr Noye’s current proven ability to control his emotions, his clear life goals, his relationships, and his proven ability to work with professionals and accept advice when it is needed.”
Stephen Cameron’s father Ken, 72, declined to comment upon hearing of Noye’s release, telling Press Association reporters he “can’t cope with it.”
Noye had previously been acquitted by a jury after stabbing an undercover police officer to death in 1985.
He found DC John Fordham camouflaged in his garden after his dogs barked, and said he had stabbed him in self-defence.
The following year he was jailed for handling stolen goods - namely gold from the 1983 Brinks Mat heist near Heathrow Airport.