David McGreavy, the man who killed three children in 1973, is set to be released after 45 years in prison. He murdered four-year-old Paul, two-year-old Dawn and nine-month-old Samantha, while staying as a lodger in the Worcester home of a family friend. He then hung their mutilated bodies on the fence outside their home.
He was said to have strangled Paul and cut Dawn's throat, while Samantha died from a compound fracture to her skull. He then impaled them on the house's spiked garden railings, and later claimed he did what he did because one of the children wouldn't stop crying. Now, it has been reported that McGreavy has been cleared for release by the parole board, following an oral hearing.
The mother of the children, Elsie, spoke to the Sun about this news, calling it a 'betrayal' by the legal system. "What this animal did to my children was every bit as bad as what the Moors Murderers did," she said. "But Ian Brady and Myra Hindley never left prison before they died so why the hell should he?"
"He put my babies on spikes for God’s sake - he mutilated them and they died in agony. I wanted him dead and to suffer like they had but was reassured after his trial that his crime was so terrible he would never walk free again. But despite begging them to keep him locked up, I have now finally been betrayed."
The possible release of the killer has reportedly been in discussion by authorities for the last ten years or so, but his latest request has reportedly been approved. According to the parole document, the killer has changed "considerably" over the years, and has "developed self-control, as well as a considerable understanding of the problems that he has had and what caused them".
A psychologist supposedly found "a number of factors" that make it less likely he will reoffend, including remaining calm in stressful situations and the aforementioned self-control.
"He has also shown himself to be compliant and co-operative with authority, which suggests that he will comply with licence conditions," they continued. "A network of supportive friends in the community was also identified as a protective factor."
"Parole Board decisions are solely focused on whether a prisoner would represent a significant risk to the public after release.
"The panel will have carefully looked at a whole range of evidence, including details of the original evidence and any evidence of behaviour change. We do that with great care and public safety is our number one priority."
While the parole board have claimed to have kept the public's safety a priority during this process, it's hard to understand how they got to that conclusion considering the horrifying and brutal crimes that McGreavy was incarcerated for. He is still currently in custody, but if these reports are to believed - he could soon be walking free.
