- David Harker, who killed mother-of-four Julie Paterson in Darlington in 1998, has been denied parole for the ninth time.
- Harker is serving a life sentence for manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, after admitting to the killing and later boasting about eating parts of her body with pasta.
- The Parole Board concluded that it was not yet safe to release the 51-year-old or transfer him to an open prison, citing the continued need to protect the public.
- Harker has been eligible for parole since 2013, and his latest hearing involved oral evidence, though he did not attend.
- Despite reports of “significantly improved” behaviour in custody over the past 11 years, experts involved in the hearing did not recommend his release.
IN FULL
Cannibal killer who bragged about eating his victim with pasta denied parole for ninth time
