A man who murdered a Northumbria Police officer almost 30 years ago is set to have his third parole hearing.
Paul Weddle, then 26, stabbed Sergeant Bill Forth, 34, in the heart, lung and kidney as he attended a call in Gateshead in March 1993. He was convicted of murder and jailed for a minimum of 25 years.
Weddle, of Gateshead, is now set for his third parole hearing ahead of the 30th anniversary of Sgt Forth's death next month. He will apply to move to an open prison in preparation for release.
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Sgt Forth’s widow, Gill Merrin, told Mirror Online: "This year it’s 30 years. And whilst the enormity of the passage of time has hit hard, it’s also difficult to manage both the build-up to the hearing and this year’s memorial services.
"I am going to have to deal with the prospect that they [Weddle] are going to be given leave to move to open conditions.
"I don’t have to like this outcome at all, but recognise I am going to have to learn to cope with the situation much like I did when the murder of Bill became mine and my family’s living nightmare."
Sgt Forth joined the Northumbria Police in 1979 and served in Sunderland. He was promoted to sergeant in 1989 and was later seconded to the district training centre at Aykley Heads in Durham.
On his return to Northumbria, he served in areas including Felling and Whickham, in Gateshead. Shortly before his tragic death, Sgt Forth was commended by a judge for his bravery while tackling two armed men.
The dad-of-two was responding to a 999 call in Gateshead when he was savagely attacked.
The sergeant, and a colleague, had been called to deal with a domestic dispute following a report of a smashed window in Clover Hill, Sunniside. It was during that job that he came across Weddle.
While under the influence of alcohol and tranquillisers, Weddle beat Sgt Forth with palings from a fence before stabbing him in the heart, lung and kidney. He died as a result of his injuries from the callous attack despite efforts to save him.
In 1994, Weddle and Philip English, then just 15, who was also at the scene of the attack, were convicted of Sgt Forth’s murder.
Weddle, from Beacon Lough, Gateshead, was sentenced to life in prison, while English, of Sunniside, Gateshead, was handed a 15-year tariff.
However, English’s conviction was later quashed after a court heard he was 100 yards away and in handcuffs when Sgt Forth was fatally wounded by his co-defendant.
Gill previously said: "Bill was a fantastic police officer, he gave the ultimate sacrifice and people need to know the enormity of that event and the impact it had on us as a family.
"He was so just much more than a police officer, he was a family man, a great dad."
Gill became a vocal campaigner for the safety of police officers and even took a petition to Downing Street, meeting with then Home Secretary Michael Howard and calling for protective vests to be available in all forces across the country.
She previously said: "I've a lot of time and respect for what the police do and for their role in society. Some people forget there’s a person in the uniform who has a life and a family – they just see the authority the uniform represents.
"I don’t think that raw grief will ever go away but thankfully our situation doesn’t happen to many families."
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