‘Clifton Rapist’ Ronald Evans should remain in prison, parole board rules
Convicted killer and rapist Ronald Evans will remain behind bars and should not be transferred to an open prison, a parole board has ruled.
Ronald Evans, 83, has spent more than half his life incarcerated.
He was first jailed for raping and murdering 21-year-old Kathleen Heathcote in Mansfield, in 1963.
In 1975 he was released and went on to commit seven rapes in Bristol - becoming dubbed 'The Clifton Rapist'.
He was eventually caught and put back behind bars when police set a honeytrap, using young female officers acting as decoys to catch him.
In November 2023 Evans was found guilty of sexually assaulting another woman while out on life licence, and jailed for a further four years.
His case was referred to the parole board by the Secretary of State for Justice to determine whether he could be safely released on parole licence.
A panel of the parole board can only direct re-release if it is satisfied that it was “no longer necessary for the protection of the public that a prisoner remains confined in prison”.
However, due to his recent additional custodial sentenced it was established Mr Evans cannot be re-released until November 2025 at the earliest.
The panel also considered Mr Evans’ suitability for transfer to open conditions.
The Secretary of State will only accept a recommendation for transfer to open conditions from the parole board "if the prisoner is assessed to be at low risk of absconding".
The case was considered at an oral hearing on 12 December.
The panel decided it more likely that Mr Evans would reoffend.
His probation officer noted Mr Evans’ complacency during the time spent in the community before this, agreed that he could not safely be allocated to open prison at this stage.
A spokesperson for the parole board said: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody, his behaviour on licence, and the other evidence presented at the hearing, the panel did not recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Evans should be transferred to open prison.
“The panel concluded that Mr Evans was appropriately located in custody where outstanding levels of risk could be contained. He will be eligible for another parole review in due course.”