The panel heard he had already spent some time on temporary release. Sorton, who has been in an open prison since November 2017, had his case considered by the Parole Board for the second time at an oral hearing on February 7, 2020. Cunliffe was sentenced to life with a minimum of 12 years. Sorton had been ordered to serve 15 years, but his sentence was reduced by two years after an appeal. Her daughters suffered, with Zoe dropping out of university unable to cope, Danielle failing to achieve her predicted GCSE grades, and Amy struggling to get out of bed each day to go to school. He died in his wife's arms three days later, after his life-support machine was switched off.
The thugs left the bloody imprint of a trainer on his forehead. Sorton and two other thugs repeatedly punched Mr Newlove and kicked his head 'like a football' while drunk and high on cannabis. All three were later jailed for life.īut the Parole Board recommended Sorton be released - and another of the killers, Jordan Cunliffe, was also having his case reviewed.Ĭunliffe and Sorton were 16 and 17 when they attacked Mr Newlove in a shocking case that became symbolic of what became known as 'Broken Britain'.ĭespite the intervention of Mr Newlove's daughters, the two yobs and a third assailant, Adam Swellings, just laughed and continued the assault.Īdam Swellings is one of the three teenagers who were convicted of the murder of Mr Newlove Stephen Sorton, who is believed to have delivered the killer blow to Mr Newlove who had rebuked them for vandalising cars, was freed from jail. Last year she said she felt 'physically sick' after finding out her husband's killer was allowed to walk around the streets of her hometown. He arrived at the cordon stretching across the road in Leigh-on-Sea, offering to administer the last rites to the devout Catholic, 69.īut he told the Mail: 'The officers said that because it was a crime scene, and also the nature of the scene, it just wasn't possible.'īaroness Newlove's husband Garry was beaten to death aged 47 in 2007 by thugs outside his home in Warrington, Cheshire. Last month Roman Catholic priest Father Woolnough accused police of preventing him from giving Sir David his last rites as he lay dying in Essex. She was speaking as the House of Lords continued its detailed scrutiny of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which contains wide-ranging measures aimed at overhauling the criminal justice system. She added: 'To make this procedure a lot better we do have to look at how we help victims and their families.'īaroness Newlove said her heart went out to Sir David's family as the funeral service was held for the father-of-five in Southend. I fully respect the police officers doing what they are doing, but it did feel at times it was about the process and not about the dying man on the ground.' 'For me, it may be only minutes, but it was hours in my mind. 'I was in a crime scene and I had to wait permission to leave that crime scene to actually be able to go and see Garry, who was dying. Baroness Newlove, whose husband Garry was killed outside his home after confronting vandals in 2007, said: 'I am a Roman Catholic, but actually I am speaking about the procedures that police placed on that night.