Kathleen Griffin: Grandmother killer's release date pushed back

Kathleen Griffin had let Hilling take refuge in her house because he was homeless

The son of a woman who was stabbed to death said he was "over the moon" her killer will not be released this year.

Grandmother Kathleen Griffin, 57, was tied up and tortured by Scott Hilling in Clacton, Essex, in 2015 after she let him take refuge at her home.

The 25-year-old was jailed for 16 years after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was due to be released in December.

But her son, Dale McMullan, has heard Hilling will now remain behind bars.

"I feel very emotional, happy, ecstatic, so pleased that I have actually won the fight to stop him from coming out and maybe doing it again," he said.

"I was worried he was going to be released and another family would go through what I went through."

Scott Hilling has served eight years of a 16-year prison sentence for killing the grandmother

During Hilling's trial, Chelmsford Crown Court heard he tortured Ms Griffin with a scalpel before stabbing her 14 times in her neck, chest, abdomen and back.

He then stripped her and tried to burn the body.

Hilling had been charged with assaulting her earlier in the year in 2015 - which was later dropped - and began living with her on his release from custody.

A report subsequently found Hilling should have been re-housed "as a matter of urgency" and his victim's death "could have been prevented".

Kathleen Griffin was fatally stabbed at her home in Old Road, Clacton

Mr McMullan, who now lives in Hertfordshire, fought against his mother's killer being freed in December, just under halfway through his sentence.

He said he was left speechless when he was told the decision had been reversed and the case would be reviewed annually going forwards.

"All I wanted to do was just to try and get some justice for my mum and stop him from coming out early and, finally, I have got it," he added.

Dale McMullan said Kathy Griffin was an "absolutely amazing" mum

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