M25 road rage killer Kenneth Noye is freed from prison

Kenneth Noye was jailed for life in 2000 but has now been freed. Credit: PA

M25 road rage killer Kenneth Noye has been freed from prison, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.

Noye had been locked up since the year 2000 after being found guilty of stabbing to death 21-year-old Stephen Cameron.

The attack happened in Kent in 1996 in front of Mr Cameron's 17-year-old fiancee.

Noye fled to Spain but was extradited to face trial and was[**jailed for life with a recommended minimum term of 16 years**](http://Road rage killer Kenneth Noye to be transferred to open prison).

Now aged 71, Noye was deemed no longer a risk to the public by the Parole Board last month.

Stephen Cameron died in the attack on an M25 slip road in Kent. Credit: PA

In a statement, the MoJ said: "We understand this will be a distressing decision for the family of Stephen Cameron and our thoughts remain with them.

"Like all life sentence prisoners released by the independent Parole Board, Kenneth Noye will be on licence for the remainder of his life, subject to strict conditions and faces a return to prison should he fail to comply."

The MoJ said it understood the release of Noye would be 'distressing' to the victim's family. Credit: PA

It is understood Noye was released from Standford Hill open prison in Kent on Thursday.

He first became eligible to be considered for release in April 2015.

As required by law, his case was referred to the Parole Board to determine whether he could be safely released on life licence.

A three-person panel considered the case at an oral hearing on May 9.Licence conditions that he will have to adhere to were previously set out by the board:

- To comply with requirements to reside at a designated address, be of good behaviour and report as required for supervision or other appointments.

- To comply with "other identified limitations" concerning contacts, activities, residency and exclusion zones.

- To continue to address "defined areas of risk".

Toni and Ken Cameron, the parents of Stephen Cameron, celebrate the guilty verdict in 2000. Credit: PA

If Noye fails to comply with his licence conditions and shows that his risk is increasing, he faces being recalled to prison.

In reaching the decision, the panel considered a 439-page dossier of written evidence.

Witnesses who gave oral evidence included Noye himself, his community-based probation officer and a psychologist employed by the Prison Service.

The panel also considered a "victim personal statement" which "set out clearly the impact that Mr Noye's crime had, and continues to have, on his victim's family".