Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

Killer who murdered Chanelle Hayes' mum denied parole 34 years after brutal attack

The killer of Chanelle Hayes ' mother will remain behind bars after the Parole Board decided he should not be released.

Chanelle was just four-months-old when Keith Pollard murdered her biological mother Andrea Sinclair on 5 April 1988.

Ms Sinclair was reportedly working as a sex worker in Manchester when client Pollard, now 68, strangled and mutilated her.

The convicted killer's request to be moved to an open prison was also rejected, following an oral hearing last month.

Chanelle - who rose to fame appearing on the Channel 4 series Big Brother in 2007 - has previously spoken out about the impact her mother's murder had on her life and her fears Pollard could be released from prison one day.

The mum-of-two, who was adopted by Christine and Harry Hayes, has previously said the convicted killer is "not safe to be out on the streets" and she hates "thought of him being free".

Chanelle Hayes was adopted as a young baby and raised in West Yorkshire (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The star was just four-months-old when Keith Pollard murdered her birth mother (NICHOLAS BOWMAN / SUNDAY MIRROR)

Pollard – who had earlier been convicted of another murder in 1972 – told the Parole Board last month he was not yet ready to be released but that he would like to be moved to an open prison.

According to PA, a Parole Board spokesman said: "We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has refused the release of Keith Pollard following an oral hearing in March. The panel has also refused to make a recommendation for a move to open conditions."

A document detailing the decision claimed that at the time of Ms Sinclair's murder, Pollard had been experiencing problems in his relationship and suffering from low self-esteem.

Chanelle has previously spoken out about her mother's killer (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

But since being in prison, he has taken part in rehabilitation programmes to address his violent and sexual behaviour, the document claims.

"Concerns had been raised about the effectiveness of this work and it was recommended to the panel that Mr Pollard complete further work to address his level of risk.

"Witnesses did not support Mr Pollard’s release or his progression to an open prison and believed that it would be necessary for him to first complete more work in a closed prison," PA reports the parole papers as saying.

Pollard first became eligible for parole in 2008 and this is his seventh review, meaning he has spent an extra 14 years in prison so far.

The convicted killer will be given another another parole review in two years' time.

Speaking on Loose Women in 2016, Chanelle emotionally opened up about how she was told the truth about her birth mother and her tragic death.

"I always grew up knowing I was adopted... but it was a sugar coated style of story," she explained on the ITV show.

"I knew I was adopted. They [Chanelle's adopted parents] did a scrapbook for me with pictures of my mum and sisters."

Chanelle recalled her childhood on Loose Women (ITV)

The reality TV star went on explain how her late birth mother had fallen in with the wrong crowd and struggled with drug addiction.

Ms Sinclair gave birth to Chanelle while she was serving a sentence at Styal prison in Cheshire.

Chatting on Loose Women, Chanelle went on to explain how after rebelling as a teenager her adoptive parents revealed the truth about her biological parents.

"I completely understand why they wanted to keep that from me. But at that point I did find out and it did shock me and made me feel sick, it felt like the weight was off of my shoulders," the star recalled.

"For my sisters they were older and it was much harder for them to accept it. I've been lucky and I've grown up with a loving family. I don't know my real dad, I've got the best dad in the world."

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct at 0207 29 33033.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.