- Maria Pearson, Britain's longest-serving female prisoner, is set to be released after the Parole Board concluded she no longer poses a risk to the public, nearly four decades after committing murder.
- Pearson, now 70, was 31 when she fatally stabbed 23-year-old Janet Newton in 1986, receiving a life sentence the following year for what the trial judge described as a "cruel and vicious" killing.
- The murder stemmed from Pearson's bigamous relationship, with her fears of losing her home and custody of a child intensifying when her second partner met Ms Newton and sought to annul their marriage, leading Pearson to track and attack the victim.
- Although Pearson completed her 12-year minimum term in October 1998, she remained incarcerated, experiencing two periods in open prison before being returned to higher-security facilities due to behavioural concerns, with her case reviewed ten times by the Parole Board.
- Her release will be subject to strict conditions, including residing at a designated address, adhering to a curfew with electronic tagging for a year, and abiding by restrictions designed to prevent any contact with the victim’s family.
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