THE devastated partner of a woman killed by her Coronation Street-obsessed son has told of his fury at plans to move him to a low-security open prison.
Daniel Bartlam was just 14 years old when he beat Jacqui to death with a hammer in 2011 before setting her body on fire.
The murder sent shockwaves across the country after it emerged Bartlam had taken inspiration from binging episodes of Corrie featuring murder.
The Parole Board gave its backing to a bid by the killer to be moved to an open prison on account of “good behaviour”, sparking fury by heartbroken stepdad Simon Matters.
He told The Sun: “To say I’m stunned is an understatement.
“I just don’t want it. You just bury your head in the sand don’t you and you just hope that it goes away and then you’re told ‘it’s gonna be a year early’ and you think ‘oh my god’.”
Already in disbelief with a 16-year sentence, Matters said he wasn’t ready to potentially spot his partner’s killer in the street within two years.
He added: “If he’d had an argument with Jacqui and pushed her down the stairs she banged her head and died it’s different, but the fact is that he planned to kill her and he killed her. He’s totally evil.
“He toed the line over the years but that said he was a 14 year old going to prison, I don’t think he had much of a choice.
“How can you release someone for good behaviour after they did what he did?”
In January this year, he was told Bartlam was applying to an open prison and two months later he was asked to release an impact statement.
The 54-year-old declined, unaware there was a change in circumstance, only to be told in October that Bartlam may be transferred to an open prison for “good behaviour”.
It will now be up for Secretary of State Yvette Cooper to confirm the move to an open prison based on the board’s recommendation.
Twisted Bartlam was said to have a dark obsession with Corrie character John Stape who also killed a woman with a hammer, leading him to write out a detailed murder plot of his own.
On his computer, he wrote extensively about a character called Daniel Bartlam who carried out a slew of violent acts including murders, rapes and attacks.
The police found a horrifying description of the character killing his mother printed from Bartlam’s computer – a scene he acted out during the murder in Nottinghamshire.
As the fire spread from his petrol-doused mother, Bartlam took brother Dominic, six, to “get help” and convincingly lied to officers about a fictional intruder.
In the chilling script, he wrote “Jacqui died and no killer was ever found”.
The Nottinghamshire-born convict, now 27, has served 12 years since his imprisonment and must complete his full tariff before his release.
It comes amid mounting anger over a government adviser who called for thousands of inmates to be moved into open prisons to help tackle overcrowded jails.
Former Tory justice secretary David Gauke urged ministers to follow Spain, where more convicted criminals are free to work and study during the day.
But Reform MP Rupert Lowe described the idea as “mad”, adding: “The Tories failed on law and order for years, they made our streets less safe and now Labour are just making the problem worse by releasing hardened criminals early from prison.”
“We need to take a tough approach. Reform UK has a plan to tackle prison capacity issues, by deporting all foreign criminals and building more prison spaces.”
A Parole Board spokesman said: “We can confirm that the Parole Board recommended a move to an open conditions prison following an oral hearing for Daniel Bartlam.
“This was a recommendation only and the Secretary of State for Justice considers the advice before making the final decision on whether a prisoner is suitable for open conditions.
“We will only make a recommendation for open conditions if a Parole Board panel is satisfied that the risk to the public has reduced sufficiently to be manageable in an open prison.
The fact is that he planned to kill her and he killed her. He’s totally evil.”
Simon Matters
“A move to open conditions involves testing the prisoner’s readiness for any potential return into the community in future. Prisoners moved to open conditions can be returned to closed conditions if there is concern about their behaviour.”
They continued: “Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public.
“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 including probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements are then given at the hearing.
“The prisoner and witnesses are then 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.”
The Ministry of Justice said it is still considering Bartlam’s move.
