Phillip Austin: Triple killer should be moved to open prison

Phillip Austin was jailed for life in 2001 for the murder of his wife Claire and their two children

A man who killed his wife and two children should be moved to an open prison, the parole board has said.

Phillip Austin was jailed for life in 2001 for the murder of his wife Claire, 31, and their children, Keiren, eight, and Jade, seven, in Northampton.

The board decided he was not suitable to be freed from prison but recommended for a second time that Austin should be transferred to a lower security jail.

The final decision lies with justice secretary Alex Chalk.

Austin, now 54, was given three life sentences to run concurrently for the murders of his family at their home.

The body of Mrs Austin was found in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor by her mother and stepfather in July 2000. She had been beaten, stabbed repeatedly and strangled.

Upstairs, the grandparents found Keiren and Jade strangled in their beds. The family's two pet poodles had also been killed.

Claire Austin had been beaten, stabbed repeatedly and strangled

Austin first became eligible for release in July 2020. At a hearing in April 2021, the board recommended he could be moved to an open prison but this was rejected by then justice secretary, Robert Buckland.

The board's latest decision said: "After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Austin was suitable for release.

"However, on considering the criteria for recommending placement in open conditions, the panel recommended that Mr Austin should be progressed in this way.

"It is now for the Secretary of State to decide whether he accepts the parole board's recommendation."

Jade and Keiren were found dead with their mother at their home on Stockmead Road in July 2000

When it first emerged Austin was due for parole, Claire's mother Carol Quinn launched a petition calling for multiple murderers never to be released from jail amid fears he could carry out more attacks.

Ahead of February's parole board hearing she said she feared he would kill again if he was released.

According to parole documents, at the time of the killings Austin had relationship and drinking problems, could not control his emotions and had a "lack of self-worth".

He has since taken part in courses to address his behaviour as well as tests in different prison environments and had made "continuing good progress", the report said.

It said witnesses who gave evidence to the parole review about Austin were "confident" he would "succeed in an open prison and that it would be an essential step in order to inform future decisions about release, and to prepare Mr Austin for a possible future release on licence".

It said there was "no suggestion that Mr Austin would be likely to abscond if he were to be moved to an open prison".

A ministry of justice spokesperson said: "We have introduced greater scrutiny of parole board recommendations on open prison moves and will review this case carefully."