BA pilot who bludgeoned wife to death and buried her has automatic release blocked

Chalk used new powers launched by the Conservatives in 2021 to ensure the killer will not be automatically released next month.

He said: "Joanna Simpson was bludgeoned and buried at the hands of Robert Brown, which left two children without a mother and caused irreparable harm to her family and loved ones.

"I made a commitment to Joanna's family that I would give this case my closest personal attention.

"Having reviewed all the information available to me, I have blocked Brown's automatic release and referred this case to the Parole Board using powers we introduced to protect the public from the most dangerous offenders."

In 2010, the mother was bludgeoned to death with a claw hammer at the couple's former home in Ascot, Berkshire, as their two children hide in a playroom.

The attack came after Simpson filed for divorce folllowing years of cruelty.

The 46-year-old was placed in a makeshift coffin, made of a garden crate, which was already buried at Windsor Great Park.

The former BA captain was acquitted of murder in 2011 after previously admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was jailed for 26 years.

Diana Parkes, Simpson's mother, said she was "delighted" with Chalk's decision.

She said: "Having to continuously relive my daughter's brutal killing is emotionally exhausting.

"We hope that the Parole Board will appreciate how dangerous Robert Brown is and we fear for the safety of our family, Jo's friends and any female he may form a relationship with in the future.

"We would urge them to keep him in jail."

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, a close friend of Simpson, added: "We now hope that the Parole Board sees the level of danger that Brown poses and makes the decision to block his release."