Child Rape-Killer Pitchfork Jailed Again After Breaking Parole Terms

Colin Pitchfork was jailed for minimum of 28 years in 1988 after DNA evidence incriminated him in the rapes and murders of two schoolgirls in 1983 and 1986. The mother of one of his victims and the local MP opposed his early release two months ago.

A man who raped and killed two teenage girls four decades ago has been jailed again after breaching the conditions of his early release.

Colin Pitchfork was freed on license in September, 33 years after his conviction for the rapes and murders by strangulation of Leicestershire 15-year-olds Lynda Mann in 1983 and Dawn Ashworth in 1986.

But he was returned to custody on Friday after being arrested for an unspecified breach of his parole rules.

"Protecting the public is our number one priority so when offenders breach the conditions of their release and potentially pose an increased risk, we don't hesitate to return them to custody," a Probation Service spokesperson said.

Pitchfork was forced to wear an electronic location-tracking tag as a condition of his release, while living at a designated address and signing the sex offenders register.

Dawn Ashworth's mother Barbara said she was "pleased" Pitchfork was back in prison.

"It's a safer place when he's behind bars and I won't have to worry about other people being hurt by him for the time being."

Conservative MP for South Leicestershire Alberto Costa campaigned against Pitchfork's release on license, but said on Friday that his re-imprisonment showed the system was "working".

"Pitchfork's behaviour has given sufficient cause for concern to the probation authorities," Costa said. "Pitchfork is under the most stringent of licence conditions and perhaps this recall evidences that those conditions are working."

Then-home secretary Douglas Hurd imposed a 30-year minimum term to his life sentence in 1988, which was reduced to 28 years on appeal.