Victor Farrant: Man who murdered mother-of-three Glenda Hoskins dies in prison

The man who murdered mother-of-three Glenda Hoskins has died in jail weeks after it emerged he was being considered for release on compassionate grounds.

Victor Farrant was convicted of the murder of his former girlfriend Ms Hoskins, 44, and the attempted murder of Ann Fidler, 45, in 1996.

Sentencing him to jail for life in 1998, Mr Justice Butterfield said Farrant was so dangerous that he should “never be released”.

He died at HMP Wakefield on Friday 3 May after suffering from a “longstanding health condition”, the Prison Service has said.

The 74-year-old’s cause of death has not been confirmed but he had reportedly been suffering from cancer.

Mrs Hoskins’ children Iain, Katie and David had reportedly been fighting to keep Farrant in prison after probation officials said in February that he was being considered for release on health grounds.

In a joint statement on Monday, they said: “Farrant’s whole life sentence and the judges remarks that he should die in prison should have been respected.

“However, Farrant’s death, like his imprisonment, changes nothing for us, the circumstances and death of our mother, Glenda Hoskins, will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

“His death, though, does bring to a close a very painful chapter for us all.

“We, and the public at large should, certainly feel safer that this repeat-offender psychopath will not strike again.”

Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt had urged Justice Secretary Alex Chalk not to release Farrant after it emerged he may be freed.

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