Latest news with #CraigRolfe
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
‘Essex Boys' triple killer released from prison
A man convicted of the ' Essex Boys' gangland murders has been released from prison. Michael Steele was jailed for life in 1998 for the killings of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, alongside co-defendant Jack Whomes. The three men were found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon, near Chelmsford, Essex, in 1995. Steele has always denied the murders. A Parole Board panel made the decision to free Steele, now in his 80s, in February because his imprisonment was 'no longer necessary for the protection of the public'. However, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood challenged the decision and asked for Steele's case to be reviewed on the grounds the decision was legally irrational. Steele was released from prison in May, the Ministry of Justice has now 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. The Parole Board decided Whomes, then aged 59, could be released in 2021.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
‘Essex Boys' triple killer 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 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. The Parole Board decided Whomes, then aged 59, could be released in 2021.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
‘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. The Parole Board decided Whomes, then aged 59, could be released in 2021.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Essex Boys gangland killer Michael Steele is released from jail despite ministers' last-ditch bid to keep triple murderer behind bars
Essex Boys killer Michael Steele has been released from jail after 27 years despite a last-ditch attempt by ministers to keep him behind bars. Along with accomplice Jack Whomes, the triple murderer killed Tony Tucker, 38, Pat Tate, 37, and Craig Rolfe, 26, with a pump action shotgun in Rettendon, Essex, in 1995. He was jailed for life at the Old Bailey three years later aged 55 after being found guilty of murder and conspiring to import drugs into the country. After Whomes's release in 2021, Steele, now 82, has also been freed after a decision by the Parole Board, the Ministry of Justice told the BBC. A spokesperson 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 first ruled that his imprisonnment was 'no longer necessary for the protection of the public' back in February and released the murderer on licence. (Left to right) Execution victims Patrick Tate, Anthony Tucker and Craig Rolfe, who were found in a Range Rover with extensive injuries But the move was stalled after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood branded the decision 'legally irrational' and caled on the body to reconsider. After a 'thorough' risk assessment, the Parole Board pressed on with the move to free Steele, despite previously expressing concerns about his chances of reoffending. It had said of his crime: 'Mr Steele had offended for financial gain and out of greed. 'He had sought to maintain a level of status or respect from others by exerting power. There had also been an element of thrill-seeking in his actions.' However, it noted his behaviour in prison had shown a 'marked improvement' and a psychologist commissioned by his legal team told the panel the risk levels of release were 'minimal'. The killer will be required to surrender his passport and cannot own a boat, airplane or firearm. He will also be required to reside at a designated address. Steele has maintained his innocence since being convicted. His three victims, known as the Essex Boys, were found dead in a Range Rover on isolated farmland near Chelmsford, after each being shot in the head by the shotgun. Tate, meanwhile, had also been blasted in the stomach. Spotting the vehicle on a snowy morning in December, farmer Peter Theobald and his friend Ken Jiggins initially thought they were poachers. But they soon discovered they had fallen victim to a horrific slaughter, with their identities only established through their fingerprints, such was the brutality of their injuries. During the trial in 1998, the court heard that the trio had been ambushed amid a row about drugs. Steele, from Great Bentley, near Colchester, was handed a minimum prison term of 23 years, which elapsed in 2019. The convictions have been the subject of some controversy and are the subject of a new Criminal Cases Review Commission probe after new evidence was found and submitted earlier this year. The CCRC previously said there was 'no real possibility' of the verdicts being overturned. And Essex Police has said the case was 'exhaustively examined' and there was no fresh evidence to dispute the original verdicts. But David McKelvey, a former Met Police detective chief inspector, believes Steele was convicted on the basis of a poor witness account by informant Nicholls. Mr McKelvey, who arrested Nicholls in the first place before he turned grass, told the BBC in February: '(Steele) should never have been convicted in the first place.' Connections were made between the killings and the 1990s rave scene - including the drugs death of Leah Betts in Basildon. It was thought she was sold the drugs by Tony Tucker as she celebrated her 18th birthday at a nightclub where security was controlled by his outfit; one theory was that the executions were done in revenge. The killings later inspired a number of films, including Essex Boys starring Sean Bean, which coined the popular term for the killings. It also inspired the Rise of the Footsoldier film series, which featured fictionalised depictions of the three murdered men and their killers. But its interest among ghoulish true crime enthusiasts led to the brother of the man who discovered the bodies begging people to stop visiting the area. Bill Theobold, whose brother Peter made the discovery, said in 2023: 'Most people just go down there without asking and some weren't even born when it happened - it's very bizarre.' Timeline of the Essex Boys murders 7 Dec 1995: Anthony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon May 1996: Darren Nicholls arrested for drugs offences - but he turns grass and gives evidence against Michael Steele and Jack Whomes Jan 1998: Steele and Whomes jailed for life at the Old Bailey July 2000: Essex Boys starring Sean Bean is released, putting the killings in the public eye again October 2001: Case referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission for the first time February 2006: Court of Appeal rejects appeal against convictions. February 2013: Steele appeals against his conviction again, and it is refused January 2016: Steele's appeals again - but it falls May 2018: Whomes has life sentence reduced January 2021: Parole Board approves Whomes for release from prison February 2025: Parole Board approves Steele's release March 2025: Justice Secretary seeks to intervene but her intervention is refused
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘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. The Parole Board decided Whomes, then aged 59, could be released in 2021.
