Wigan family call for daughter's killer to be permanently tagged on prison release

Darren Pilkington, who is one of the few people in the UK ever to be jailed for two unconnected manslaughters, is due a new parole hearing in May, having served an extra sentence for a prison break last year.

The family of his second victim – 19-year-old Carly Fairhurst, whom he pushed downstairs and left for dead in 2006 – have “been through the wringer” ever since because of regular parole hearings, both while he was serving his original term and after his release because he kept breaching the terms of his licence and ending up behind bars for further short spells.

Given the choice, Hindley couple Trevor and Sheila Fairhurst would like the 40-year-old – who also fatally attacked friend Paul Akister with his brother Andrew in 2000 – to be locked up for life.

But as the parole board seems unwilling or unable to grant their wish, despite Pilkington’s continued brushes with the law, they want the reassurance that the authorities know where he is at all times once his freedom is granted.

They recently met HM Inspector of Probation, Noreen Wallace, and put to her private concerns from contacts of thiers within the probation service that it “doesn’t know what to do with Pilkington.”

And, on the suggestion of a police contact, they have also made an approach to the service about the possibility of permanent electronic monitoring.

Mr Fairhurst said: “I don’t think this is an unreasonable suggestion.

"Pilkington doesn’t deserve to walk the streets again in our view, but it seems that the authorities don’t agree and we have to accept that eventually he will be out yet again.

"With that in mind, and his terrible record for not being able to adhere to the terms of his licence, we think he should be monitored round the clock forever. He’s been tagged for short periods before now: why not do it permanently?

"It would help the police and probation service keep tabs on him and give us at least some peace of mind.

"When we mentioned to Ms Wallace that we’d heard the probation service was at a loss as to what to do with Pilkingtonafter this merry-go-round of jailings, hearings, releases and more jailings, she said she would make some inquiries. Eventually she came back, saying she had ‘hit a brick wall’. These parole hearings and the updating of victim impact statements are just going in circles, year after year.”

Pilkington is no longer allowed to be kept in an open prison after absconding from Kirkham jail last spring, following a change in the law. So his latest (oral) hearing on May 9 will be at a higher security institution unknown to the Fairhursts.

The couple have been buoyed by news that statements – which had previously read out for them by prison chaplains – are now to be delivered by representatives of the justice secretary which, they hope, will “give them more clout.”

As for the proposal about Pilkington’s tagging: they have yet to receive a reply.

The Fairhursts, who were awarded MBEs for giving talks to the public, police and other organisations about domestic violence and spotting the signs, have now resumed this work after a break of several years.

They recently addressed staff at Hindley’s Pennygate medical centre and discovered that one of the women there was the person who took Pilkington’s phone call in January 2006 saying that Carly had had an “accident” after leaving her at the bottom of the stairs, badly injured, all night.

On Friday March 10 they will address around 100 students at St John Rigby College in Orrell.

The parole board is expected to issue its verdict on Pilkington’s hearing two to three weeks after it takes place.