Offenders on Probation Guilty of Further Offences

New figures have revealed that Offenders on probation are committing an average of three murders, or serious sex crimes, a week.

Since 2010, known criminals have been convicted of nearly 700 murders while on probation. Offenders who were on probation have also been the subjects of a further 950 convictions over the same period for attempted rape, rape, or serious sex assaults - including attacks on young children.

HM Chief Inspector of Probation, Justin Russell, warned it was “impossible to say” the probation service was keeping the public safe from freed criminals after the service made blunders that led to the murders of two women and three children.

Mr Russell carried out two damning reports into the murder and sexual assault of Zara Aleena by Jordan McSweeney, and the killing of his partner and three children by Damien Bendall. The two killers had been classed as “medium risk” - which meant they were supervised by inexperienced staff.

A third case saw Lee Peacock found guilty of murder after he slit the throats of his girlfriend Sharon Pickles and friend Clinton Ashmore while on probation - only three months after his June 2021 release from jail.

Between 2010-11 and 2020-21, there were 3,219 “serious further offences” committed by known criminals on probation in England and Wales. Other convictions included attempted murder, kidnapping, and arson with intent to endanger life.

The Labour Party obtained the official figures, and blamed the Government for failing to invest in the system,