A notorious criminal previously identified as the most dangerous sex offender in Britain has been declined release from prison by the parole board.
Kevin Lakeman, aged 63, abruptly left his hearing, expressing his decision to withdraw from further consideration for release or transfer to an open prison. According to a recent parole board report, the panel deemed it unsafe for the public if Lakeman were to be released at this juncture.
The parole board highlighted concerns regarding unexplored risks, particularly related to potential physical and sexual violence towards intimate partners, which necessitated further investigation and potential treatment in a secure prison setting.
Lakeman, hailing from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, was handed a life sentence in April 1995 for three counts of rape and one attempted rape, all of which occurred at night and involved the use of a knife. His status as Britain’s most notorious sex offender emerged following additional victims coming forward after his initial conviction.
Despite being released on parole in January 2019, Lakeman was returned to custody just two months later due to breaching terms of his release and making incriminating statements during testing. Subsequent police reviews uncovered approximately 30 potential new charges against him from incidents dating back to 2018 and 2019.
During his recent parole board hearing, Lakeman admitted responsibility for his prior convictions but continued to deny other allegations against him. The panel took into account unproven allegations, noting similarities to his known offenses and factoring them into their risk assessment.
Law enforcement authorities disclosed that following a thorough review, they decided not to pursue reopening any cases against Lakeman due to insufficient evidence. The matter has been officially closed with no further police action expected.