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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Dan Warburton & Thomas Molloy

Teenage killer who murdered gran and dumped body loses new bid for freedom

A woman who tortured and killed a pensioner when she was just 14 has lost her latest bid to be freed.

Sarah Davey and her 15-year-old pal Lisa Healey beat Lily Lilley, 71, to death in her Failsworth home in 1998, before throwing her corpse in a canal.

Now it has emerged the Parole Board blocked her latest bid for freedom - Davey even asked a senior judge to reverse the decision but he also ruled she must remain behind bars.

READ MORE : Brothers punched woman in the face after petty row about kids 'leaving football marks on neighbour's car'

Davey and Healey had befriended lonely grandma Lilley and after they were invited in for a cup of tea, they taunted her, squirted her with shampoo and cut her legs with a knife. After killing her, they made hundreds of calls from her phone and used her pension money to buy crisps and chocolate. At Davey’s trial the judge called it an “unspeakably wicked murder” as he gave her an indefinite life sentence.

Lily Lilley (Manchester Evening News)

Since March 2013, Davey has been released from prison on licence seven times but has been recalled every time after breaching the terms of her licence, the Mirror reports. Parole chiefs have rejected to release Davey for an eighth time at a recent hearing.

It was found that Davey, now in her late 30s, had the opioid painkiller subutex in her system. She launched an appeal against the decision, but a panel dismissed it at an oral hearing in August.

Davey appealed to a senior judge, Sir David Calvert-Smith, but in a published ruling dated August 31 he rejected the appeal and said: "I do not consider that the decision was irrational or procedurally unfair."

In his judgment, it was said the Parole Board was concerned about Davey’s new partner and it had “concerns that any ­resumption of that relationship would increase the risk of serious harm the applicant might pose to the public as a result”. Documents seen by the Mirror state: “She has been released on licence on seven occasions since her first such release in March 2013. Each of those licences has been revoked and she has been recalled to prison.”

Sarah Davey when she was originally jailed (Manchester Evening News)

A spokesman for the Parole Board told the M.E.N: “We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Sarah Davey following an oral hearing in August 2022. The panel also refused to recommend a move to open prison.

"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 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.

"Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing. Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing.

"It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more. Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.

"Under current legislation she will be eligible for a further review in due course. The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice.”

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