Gary Glitter to stay in jail as parole bid refused

Gary Glitter will stay in prison after the Parole Board refused the disgraced singer's bid to be released.

Glitter, 81, was recalled to jail less than six weeks after he was released halfway through his 16-year sentence in 2023 for breaching his licence conditions by allegedly viewing downloaded images of children. He was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment in 2015 after being found guilty of sexually assaulting three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980.

The Parole Board last year said it was "not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public" after a hearing held behind closed doors. A spokesman on Tuesday said his release was refused again following a "paper review".

"Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community," a statement said. "A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.

"Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority." Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, will be eligible for a further review at a date set by the Ministry of Justice.

His sentence expires in February 2031. He was made bankrupt earlier this year after failing to pay more than £500,000 in damages to a woman who sued him for abusing her when she was 12 years old.

Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries at Slater and Gordon, who represented the woman, told Sky News the Parole Board has made "the right decision". He added: "My client is relieved at this ruling but apprehensive about having to go through the merry-go-round of Gadd coming up for parole again, and the fear of him being let out on licence.

"This is unfair on victims and it would be better if they were assured that he would serve the rest of his sentence." Read more from Sky News:Man jailed for murdering two women on Christmas DayEx-lawyer 'fears revenge over gang boss murder claim' Glitter was first jailed for four months in 1999 after he admitted possessing around 4,000 indecent images of children. He was expelled from Cambodia in 2002, and in March 2006 was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam, where he spent two-and-a-half years in prison.

Glitter was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence. But he was back behind bars weeks later after reportedly trying to access the dark web and images of children..