Juror would feel ‘completely let down’ if whole-life murderer is released

The foreman of a jury which convicted a murderer who was given a whole-life sentence for killing a mother-of-three said he would feel “completely let down” if he is freed from jail, as discussions on his release move to the next stage.

Nicholas Simpson was on the jury which convicted Victor Farrant of the murder of former girlfriend Glenda Hoskins, 44, and the attempted murder of Ann Fidler, 45, at Winchester Crown Court in 1998.

Sentencing him to jail for life, Mr Justice Butterfield said Farrant was so dangerous that he should “never be released”.

But the family of Mrs Hoskins revealed last month they had been contacted by officials who said that Farrant was being considered for compassionate leave as he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and could have months to live.

A Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa) meeting last week looked at the case which the family says has been passed on to the prison governor to decide on whether to make a formal application for his release.

Mr Simpson, 63, said the judge’s words on sentencing “ring very, very true” with him.

He said: “Everybody has got to die, why is there any reason somebody like that should be released?

“Who would want somebody like that living next door to them? It doesn’t matter how sick he is.

“The judge said life, why should anybody have any reason to dispute that, it doesn’t matter if he’s on his last day, he should stay in prison.

“I don’t want him out because he could be a threat.

“He’s incredibly dangerous, somebody who came out of prison and within a few days [committed] a murder and an attempted murder.

“Why on earth should he be given another chance?”

Mr Simpson said if Farrant was released from prison he would be “absolutely livid”, adding: “I will give anybody my support to make sure he doesn’t come out.

“The amount of money and effort the Government spent, he had to be repatriated, the police, barristers, the judge, the jury, I would feel completely let down by the Government if anybody is prepared to consider him to be released.

“I’m prepared to stand by Glenda Hoskins’s family and the others involved as well.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said in a previous statement: “Glenda Hoskins’s murder was a horrific crime and our thoughts remain with her family and friends.

“Prisoners are only released on compassionate grounds in exceptional circumstances following strict risk assessments and no formal application has yet been made in this case.”

Farrant was jailed in November 1988 for 12 years for rape and other offences, but just weeks after he was released on November 7 1995, he beat Ms Fidler at her home in Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Six weeks later, he murdered accountant Mrs Hoskins at her luxury waterside home in Portsmouth by pushing her under the water in the bath.

He left her body in the attic where it was found by her 15-year-old daughter Katie.

After killing Mrs Hoskins, Farrant went on the run and was eventually found in the south of France.