Prisoner releases blocked

New powers allow justice secretary to refer more decisions to Parole Board

How was the justice secretary Alex Chalk able to block the release from prison of Robert Brown, a former British Airways pilot who battered his wife Joanna Simpson to death with a hammer in 2010 at their home in Ascot?

Robert Brown

Brown, 60, was acquitted of murder after a trial in 2011 but convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. His defence team had instructed a consultant forensic psychiatrist who gave evidence that Brown was suffering from an adjustment disorder. A psychiatrist instructed by the prosecution said the defendant was not suffering from any mental disorder.