The sister of a man jailed for a murder he didn't commit has slammed the decision to allow the true killer out of prison on day release. Tony Paris was one of three men wrongly found guilty of the 1988 murder of Lynette White in a notorious miscarriage of justice that saw the group - known as the Cardiff Three - serve two years in jail.
He, together with Yusef Abdullahi and Stephen Miller, all of whom were black, were sentenced to life imprisonment following a lengthy murder trial, despite police issuing a photofit of a white man as the main suspect as part of their initial investigations. The men's convictions were later quashed by the Court of Appeal, while advances in DNA technology led to the true murderer, Jeffrey Gafoor, being convicted of the killing in 2003 and jailed for life.
Gafoor, who was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years before he could be considered for parole, had his latest application to be set free immediately rejected by the Parole Board. However, he has already "successfully undertaken temporary releases from prison," according to a recent report to the Ministry of Justice, in preparation for his eventual release.
Read more: What happened in the Lynette White case and who was jailed for her murder?
The developments have come as a devastating blow to the families of the men who were wrongly caught up in the fallout from the brutal murder, which saw 20-year-old Lynette stabbed more than 60 times at her flat in Butetown on Valentine's Day. Two other men, Ronnie and John Actie, were also falsely accused of the crime but later acquitted after spending two years in custody.
Mr Paris's sister, Rosie, said she was "disgusted" that Gafoor had been allowed days out of prison, branding the decision as "another nail in the coffin" for her brother, who died in September, 2022.
"It's absolutely sickening," she said. "What that man did, it wasn't just a murder as we know it, it was absolutely brutal. Then he walked away from it, knowing that he did it, and picked on five local boys, letting them take the fall for it. I know how much the ordeal scarred my brother, and it took years to clear him properly. The whole thing was absolutely disgusting then and to now be considering letting Gafoor out is just as disgusting. Get the latest Cardiff news sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our free newsletter.
"He has caused so much pain," she added. "He has destroyed five families and totally destroyed three of them. In fact, I’m upset about the lack of understanding at how much damage he has done. Those men who went to jail, including my brother, never had justice and I worry that people don’t remember that."
With Gafoor getting closer to being released permanently after nearly 20 years in prison, Rosie believed his time behind bars had been insufficient, adding that there was "no way" he should be let out. She also drew comparisons with the treatment of her late brother, adding that the murderer's release even being considered was an insult to his memory.
A petition has now been set up calling for Gafoor to be blocked from being let out. Rosie has pushed for people to sign it as she said she was "determined" to keep him behind bars.
"They sentenced my brother to 17 years in prison, but that man should be doing three times as much as that for destroying my family and those of the other men," said Rosie. "I know that if that was a black person, they wouldn’t be releasing them now, they’d be in there much longer. There's no way he should be released.
"We are so hurt by what Gafoor has done, so to see him let out of prison even for a day is so sickening and so sad. I want to know what can be done to stop him from coming out, because that man being released from prison is an insult and another nail in the coffin for my brother and the rest of my family."
At Gafoor's sentencing in July, 2004, the judge said he should serve a minimum of 13 years before being considered for parole. Last month, the Parole Board considered whether he should be set free, but could only direct release if it was satisfied that it was no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the murderer remained confined in prison.
Its report reads: "The panel considered the contents of Mr Gafoor’s dossier, prepared by the Secretary of State. This included up-to-date reports from Mr Gafoor’s probation officer based in the community and other documentation from the establishment, including psychological assessments.
“The panel had the benefit of a victim's personal statement. The panel considered very carefully the impact and consequences of Mr Gafoor’s crimes which had been outlined in this statement.”
Risk factors from the time of Gafoor's offence included problems with self-control, the misuse of alcohol and the management of intense emotions leading to extreme violence and the use of weapons. The report added that he "could ruminate and act out of a sense of grievance, not understanding the harm that his actions caused to the victim".
It continued: “He had previously participated in accredited programmes to address his offending risks and had worked one-to-one with prison psychological services. He had graduated to open conditions where he had successfully undertaken temporary releases from prison.
“Mr Gafoor’s custodial conduct continued to cause no concerns. Since his last parole review, Mr Gafoor had been relocated to another open prison. He was reported to have progressed and to have coped well with this development and with a change of probation officers supervising his case.
“Though Mr Gafoor’s probation officer and other key report writers suggested remaining in open conditions would provide the measured pace needed to prepare him for safe release, the panel examined an outline release plan and weighed this against assessed risks. The plan included a requirement to reside in designated accommodation as well as strict limitations on Mr Gafoor’s contacts, movements and activities, but the panel concluded these plans were not robust enough to manage Mr Gafoor in the community at this stage.
It concluded: "After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and other evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Gafoor was suitable for release. However, on considering the criteria for recommending placement in open conditions, the panel recommended that Mr Gafoor should remain in this location.”
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