Colin Pitchfork victim’s sister blasts ‘evil psychopath’ & says she’s ‘scared to run into him’ now he’s free

THE SISTER of Colin Pitchfork’s victim has blasted the “evil psychopath” and said the thought of seeing the killer on the streets is “scary and horrendous.”

The monster, 61, was jailed for life after raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986.

Child murderer Colin Pitchfork has been released from prison

Lynda Mann was murdered in 1983 at Narborough, Leics

EnterpriseThe 15-year-old was last seen heading out of her family home[/caption]

But the double child murderer Colin Pitchfork has walked free from prison.

The monster will live in a probation hostel near unsuspecting families after the Parole Board rejected an appeal against his release.

The Sun revealed last month officials were drawing up plans for his release to ensure he is kept under the toughest supervision possible.

Sue Gratrick last saw her younger sister, Lynda, she was heading out through the front door of their family home – before she was raped and strangled to death.

The sister has blasted the killer, calling him “evil” and a “sexual psychopath” who “hasn’t changed” – but he has been allowed to be freed from prison.

Sue Gratrick, keeping her face concealed, said on Good Morning Britain this morning: “He now has more rights than we do. We don’t know where he is.

“He was clever enough to fool his wife when he killed, and he’s been clever enough to convince the parole board that he’s not a threat anymore.

“The restrictions they put on him, it’s not going to make a great deal of a difference.

“He’s too clever, he’ll do something. He can’t not be the person that he was when he went inside.

“He’s still a killer, he still did that. He’s still a rapist, he can’t change his sexual motivation. That’s who he is. He’s just evil.

“There’s no way he’s changed. How can they know he’s not a threat while he’s been in prison away from women and girls?”

She said that her final moments with her 15-year-old sister play like a film in her mind – as she wonders what Lynda would be doing if she was alive today.

Sue added: “I live in a small seaside town and there’s a possibility that when he was a kid he used to go there on holiday. And he might want to go back and revisit that.

“I’m not scared of him. But to think I could be walking down the street and see him walking towards me, that’s horrendous. That’s scary. I don’t know how I’m going to cope now he is out.

“I haven’t had a chance to think about what it’s going to be like when I’m out, especially when I’m out on my own.

‘EVIL’

“He could be outside. He’s a sexual psychopath and they’ve let him out. They don’t know what he’s going to do.”

Yesterday Barbara Ashworth, mother of victim Dawn Ashworth who was raped and murdered by Pitchfork, said: “Well it was on the books that he was going to be released, but I don’t think he should be breathing the same air as us.

“It goes without saying that life should have meant life in his case, because he said he was guilty of the offences, the murders of both the girls and he did a lot more besides.”

Asked if she was surprised Pitchfork had become eligible for release, Ms Ashworth said: “Yes, I think so. They did say that if it had been done today he wouldn’t have been let out.

“But that doesn’t excuse anything. I don’t have my daughter back or any of the hopes and dreams that she had in her life.

“She was my only daughter and you live your life through them and their future – but that was taken away.”

The double killer will have to wear an electronic tag, face restrictions on using the internet and be banned from going near relatives of his victims.

His life licence conditions mean he can be recalled for the slightest breach, and he will also be placed on the sex offenders register

Safeguarding Minister Victoria Atkins MP said: “With any offender of the nature, murderer and rapist, there is a very very strong regime of controls put around that person that once they leave prison.

“There will be very very strong routines, including the police put in place around any person with that background.

“It’s absolutely critical that anyone with those convictions are monitored. If they break rules, measures can be taken.”

But even with stringent controls in place, Ms Ashworth said she will “never put [Pitchfork’s release] out of my mind”.

‘I’M NOT LIVING, JUST EXISTING’

“I recoil every day with people talking about their daughters and grandchildren,” she added.

“It’s with you daily, what you’ve had taken and all that she could have achieved.

“He should never be walking the streets again. The law is the law and what they say goes, but it shouldn’t have come about – he should have been locked away for life without parole as far as I’m concerned.

“It’s an existence, it’s not a life. I’m not living a life, it’s just go from day-to-day.

“Something like this goes to pull the rug from under you and you don’t realise how shattered your life can be when you’ve just had everything taken away.”

Pitchfork was jailed in 1988 for the rape and murder of 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth.

His crimes led Leicestershire Police to launch its biggest ever manhunt at the time.

But he evaded arrest until 1987, when a bakery colleague boasted he got £200 to give a blood and saliva sample on behalf of Pitchfork.

The killer was convicted on DNA evidence for the 1983 killing of Lynda Mann in Narborough, south Leicestershire, and the 1986 murder of Dawn Ashworth in nearby Enderby.

Speaking after his conviction, then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Lane, said: “From the point of view of the safety of the public I doubt if he should ever be released.”

Yet Pitchfork, who was the first UK murderer convicted using DNA evidence, saw his minimum term cut from 30 years to 28 in 2009.

‘REMEMBER HIS FACE’

He had been denied parole twice in 2016 and 2018, but in June a panel found he was no longer a danger to the public.

An appeal by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland was rejected by the parole board in July.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Our heartfelt sympathies remain with the families of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth following the independent Parole Board’s decision to release Colin Pitchfork.

“Public safety is our top priority, which is why he will be subject to some of the strictest licence conditions ever set and remain under supervision for the rest of his life.

“If he breaches these conditions, he faces an immediate return to prison.”

Pitchfork was pictured on day release in 2017