A man who brutally killed his wife as his children hid in their playroom is set to be released automatically after serving half his sentence with no parole review. Now after a campaign, the victim’s mother is set to meet the new Justice Secretary to discuss her daughter’s killer’s release.
British Airways captain Robert Brown bludgeoned Joanna Simpson, 46, to death with a claw hammer in their family home in October 2010 as their two young children cowered in a playroom, before dumping her body in a makeshift coffin in Windsor Great Park. He was acquitted of murder by a jury at Reading Crown Court the following year, having admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Brown, who believed he was “stitched up” by a prenuptial agreement, is due to be released on licence in November after serving 13 years of a 26-year sentence because the lesser charge means he will not face a Parole Board. However, new Justice Secretary Alex Chalk could use his powers to refer the case to the board to consider whether it is safe to release him.
