‘Essex Boys' triple killer Michael Steele released from prison
A triple killer convicted of the 'Essex Boys' gangland murders has been released from prison, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed.
Michael Steele was jailed for life in 1998 for the killings of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, which he denied, alongside co-defendant Jack Whomes.
The three men were found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon, near Chelmsford, Essex, in 1995.
A Parole Board panel decided in February to free Steele, now in his 80s, because his imprisonment was 'no longer necessary for the protection of the public' but Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood challenged the decision and asked for his case to be reviewed again on the grounds the decision was legally irrational.
Steele was released from prison in May, the MoJ confirmed.
A spokesperson for the government department said: 'Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Craig Rolfe, Tony Tucker and Pat Tate.
'This decision was made by the independent Parole Board after a thorough risk assessment.
'Michael Steele will be on licence for the rest of his life, with strict conditions and intensive probation supervision. He faces an immediate return to prison if he breaks the rules.'
The killings took place after a row over a drug deal, prosecutors said, and the case later inspired the 2000 film Essex Boys, starring Sean Bean.
The decision in February to release Steele came in the second review by the Parole Board following the end of his initial minimum term of 23 years' imprisonment.
He had not been assessed as suitable for formal risk-reduction interventions while in prison, 'partly through lack of need and partly because he had maintained his innocence of involvement in the murders', the Parole Board's summary said.
It added that risk factors for Steele at the time of his offending included his 'criminal lifestyle, involvement with drugs and association with the wrong people'.
But the Parole Board also found that Steele's behaviour in prison had shown 'marked improvement' and none of the witnesses considered risks would be imminent if he was released into the community.
Strict licence conditions were set out for Steele, including to live at a designated address, be of good behaviour, provide financial and business details, give up his passport, and be subject to electronic tagging and a specified curfew.
There were additional restrictions relating to the use of electronic technology, contact with the media or other publications, and not to own a boat, plane or firearm.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Shock moment brazen Manchester Airport worker WEES on driver's Range Rover in long-stay carpark
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HOLIDAYMAKER was 'disgusted' when his Tesla's security camera caught an airport's 'meet and greet' parking attendant deliberately urinating up against a customer's brand new Range Rover. The traveller had just landed in Turkey for a week-long break when he received a motion alert. 4 The worker in a hi-vis vest can be seen checking for any onlookers moments before 4 He walked from side to side to cover the car He was stunned when he logged in to find a male employee at Manchester's Terminal 1 relieving himself up against another vehicle. The parking attendant unzips his trousers on May 25 at 12.30am before walking up to the £70,000 white Range Rover - taking a leak against the side bodywork. The 30-second clip even captures him moving in a side-to-side motion for maximum coverage. The man said: 'Shortly after arriving in Turkey, I received a motion alert from my vehicle's security system. 'Curious, I checked the footage - initially thinking it was just a staff member moving the cars - but as the video continued, I was absolutely stunned by what I saw. 'It appeared that the worker, rather than simply relieving himself discreetly, urinated all over a customer's car. 'I was completely disgusted. It's one thing if nature calls unexpectedly- but to do that on someone's vehicle? It's vile and completely unacceptable. 'What makes it worse is imagining families returning from their holidays, unknowingly touching contaminated door handles and loading their kids into those cars. 'It's revolting to think about.' The staff member is in uniform, wearing a high-vis jacket with his hood up. The shocked holidaymaker, who paid £70 for the week-long parking, added: 'Needless to say, my car will be getting a full valet when I return. I chose the meet and greet service for peace of mind, expecting my vehicle to be safe and returned in the same condition I left it. 'Instead, I've lost all trust in this service. 'I genuinely feel awful for the owner of the car targeted. It was a brand-new 25-plate Range Rover. 'That kind of disrespect is beyond comprehension. 'I won't be using this service again. 'Next time, I'll just book a taxi—at least then I'll know my car is safe and clean at home.' The incident last week was at Terminal 1, with the car park service run by the airport. An airport spokesman said: 'The behaviour shown in this video is completely unacceptable and does not represent the conduct we expect from any of our colleagues. 'While it is an isolated incident and not reflective of our wider team, we want to apologise to anyone offended by the incident. 'We have a zero tolerance approach to this kind of behaviour and, with that in mind, it will be dealt with in line with our disciplinary procedures." Manchester Airport has also been plagued by privately run rogue 'meet and greet' firms in recent years, sparking a police crackdown. Complaints included reports of cars being stolen, damaged, dumped in fields, and even driven thousands of miles on joy rides. One firm had crashed a couple's brand new £157k BMW, and another traveller said they returned from an eight-week trip to find 3,000 miles had been added to their mileage clock. Some companies were moving vehicles to fields or abandoning them on residential streets while owners were on holiday. 4 The vile act was captured on camera at the airport
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Shock moment brazen Manchester Airport worker WEES on driver's Range Rover in long-stay carpark
A HOLIDAYMAKER was 'disgusted' when his Tesla's security camera caught an airport's 'meet and greet' parking attendant deliberately urinating up against a customer's brand new Range Rover. The traveller had just landed in Turkey for a week-long break when he received a motion alert. 4 4 He was stunned when he logged in to find a male employee at Manchester's Terminal 1 relieving himself up against another vehicle. The parking attendant unzips his trousers on May 25 at 12.30am before walking up to the £70,000 white Range Rover - taking a leak against the side bodywork. The 30-second clip even captures him moving in a side-to-side motion for maximum coverage. The man said: 'Shortly after arriving in Turkey, I received a motion alert from my vehicle's security system. 'Curious, I checked the footage - initially thinking it was just a staff member moving the cars - but as the video continued, I was absolutely stunned by what I saw. 'It appeared that the worker, rather than simply relieving himself discreetly, urinated all over a customer's car. 'I was completely disgusted. It's one thing if nature calls unexpectedly- but to do that on someone's vehicle? It's vile and completely unacceptable. 'What makes it worse is imagining families returning from their holidays, unknowingly touching contaminated door handles and loading their kids into those cars. 'It's revolting to think about.' The staff member is in uniform, wearing a high-vis jacket with his hood up. The shocked holidaymaker, who paid £70 for the week-long parking, added: 'Needless to say, my car will be getting a full valet when I return. I chose the meet and greet service for peace of mind, expecting my vehicle to be safe and returned in the same condition I left it. 'Instead, I've lost all trust in this service. 'I genuinely feel awful for the owner of the car targeted. It was a brand-new 25-plate Range Rover. 'That kind of disrespect is beyond comprehension. 'I won't be using this service again. 'Next time, I'll just book a taxi—at least then I'll know my car is safe and clean at home.' The incident last week was at Terminal 1, with the car park service run by the airport. An airport spokesman said: 'The behaviour shown in this video is completely unacceptable and does not represent the conduct we expect from any of our colleagues. 'While it is an isolated incident and not reflective of our wider team, we want to apologise to anyone offended by the incident. 'We have a zero tolerance approach to this kind of behaviour and, with that in mind, it will be dealt with in line with our disciplinary procedures." Manchester Airport has also been plagued by privately run rogue 'meet and greet' firms in recent years, sparking a police crackdown. Complaints included reports of cars being stolen, damaged, dumped in fields, and even driven thousands of miles on joy rides. One firm had crashed a couple's brand new £157k BMW, and another traveller said they returned from an eight-week trip to find 3,000 miles had been added to their mileage clock. Some companies were moving vehicles to fields or abandoning them on residential streets while owners were on holiday. 4 4
ITV News
a day ago
- ITV News
Michael Steele, triple killer convicted of 'Essex Boys' gangland murders, released from prison
A triple killer convicted of the "Essex Boys" gangland murders has been released from prison, the Ministry of Justice confirmed. Michael Steele was jailed for life in 1998 for the killings of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, which he and his co-defendant Jack Whomes denied. The three men were found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon, near Chelmsford, Essex, in 1995. In February, a Parole Board panel decided to free Steele, now in his 80s, because his imprisonment was 'no longer necessary for the protection of the public'. But Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood had challenged the decision and asked for his case to be reviewed again on the grounds the decision was legally irrational. The MoJ confirmed Steele was released in May. A spokesperson for the government department said: 'Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Craig Rolfe, Tony Tucker and Pat Tate. 'This decision was made by the independent Parole Board after a thorough risk assessment. 'Michael Steele will be on licence for the rest of his life, with strict conditions and intensive probation supervision. He faces an immediate return to prison if he breaks the rules.' The Parole Board decided Whomes, then aged 59, could be released in 2021. The killings took place after a row over a drug deal, prosecutors said, and the case later inspired the 2000 film Essex Boys, starring Sean Bean. The decision in February to release Steele came in the second review by the Parole Board following the end of his initial minimum term of 23 years' imprisonment. He had not been assessed as suitable for formal risk-reduction interventions while in prison, 'partly through lack of need and partly because he had maintained his innocence of involvement in the murders', the Parole Board's summary said. It added that risk factors for Steele at the time of his offending included his 'criminal lifestyle, involvement with drugs and association with the wrong people'. But the Parole Board also found that Steele's behaviour in prison had shown 'marked improvement' and none of the witnesses considered risks would be imminent if he was released into the community. Strict licence conditions were set out for Steele, including to live at a designated address, be of good behaviour, provide financial and business details, give up his passport, and be subject to electronic tagging and a specified curfew. There were additional restrictions relating to the use of electronic technology, contact with the media or other publications, and not to own a boat, plane or firearm.
