Wigan double killer walks free from jail yet again

A notorious Wigan double killer’s latest bid for freedom has been granted.
Darren PilkingtonDarren Pilkington
Darren Pilkington

Much to the distress and anger of his second victim’s family, Darren Pilkington, has once walked free from prison for the fourth time, having served his original sentence plus three more stretches for breaching the terms of his licence.

Trevor and Sheila Farhurst, whose 19-year-old daughter Pilkington killed in 2006, are entitled to lodge an appeal against the latest Parole Board decision but while they say they fully intend to do so, they hold very little hope that their idea of justice will be done.

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Carly Fairhurst was left badly injured at the bottom of a staircase at a home she and boyfriend Pilkington had been minding and after losing her battle for life several days later, he was charged with murder.

Sheila and Trevor Fairhurst with a picture of their beloved CarlySheila and Trevor Fairhurst with a picture of their beloved Carly
Sheila and Trevor Fairhurst with a picture of their beloved Carly

Eventually Pilkington pleaded guilty to manslaughter: the second time he had done so in a court, having previously admitted to his involvement in the brutal death of Hindley man Paul Akister several years earlier.

After serving around 10 years behind bars for killing Carly, he was released. But since then he has been sent back to prison three times for licence infringements and each time, it has meant the Hindley couple having to lodge new victim impact statements and wait on tenterhooks for the verdicts of parole hearings.

They believe that the now 36-year-old has more than enough chances to demonstrate that he isn’t fit to be released back into society, although none of the breaches have been for further acts of violence.

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Neither has he, to the Fairhursts’ or the authorities’ knowledge, penetrated the exclusion zone around Wigan borough which he is not permitted to enter.

But having killed twice and repeatedly shown an inability since to behaved himself and follow rules, Carly’s mum and dad feel he should have run out of opportunities for liberty by now.

Mr Fairhurst said: “We are, frankly, disgusted.

“We just despair at how many chances this guy is getting and we have lost all faith in the justice system.

“We have been told we can again lodge an appeal but we don’t hold out any hope of that succeeding.

“The news came on our son Michael’s birthday which made the blow even worse.”