Powys double murderer Andrew Cole is moved to open prison

Psychiatric patient Andrew Cole stabbed William Crompton, 18, and Fiona Ovis, 28, to death in a frenzied knife attack at her grandmother's house in Llandrindod Wells in May 1996.

Mr Crompton and Ms Ovis were stabbed a total of 90 times and their bodies sexually mutilated by Cole, who was 26 at the time and had met his victims when all three were patients at the Mid Wales Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Talgarth that shut in 1999.

Cole was jailed for life at his original trial in January 1997 but the verdict was later quashed by the Court of Appeal.

He was again convicted of the double murder at his second trial in November 1998 after a second jury rejected his plea of diminished responsibility. Then-Home Secretary Jack Straw said Cole must serve a minimum tariff of 15 years although that was later reduced to 11.

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Cole was released from a secure psychiatric unit in October 2015, despite protestations from Mr Crompton's family who fought to stop him being freed.

Cole, now in his mid-50s, had since been recalled to prison due to concerning behaviour following his initial release nine years ago.

Mr Crompton’s family fear he will now be freed again, although the Prison Service said Cole is not due to be released but is being moved to a category D prison.

“Prisoners serving a life sentence are only approved for open conditions following a robust risk assessment by the Parole Board, and we do not hesitate to move them back to closed prisons if they break the rules,” said a Prison Service spokesperson.

“The independent Parole Board conducts a thorough risk assessment before recommending a transfer to open conditions but the Prison Service retains the ability to return offenders to closed prison at the first sign of any concern.”

One of the worst cases ever in Wales 

The double murder was one of the worst police in Wales have ever witnessed, with the killings happening less than 30 hours after Cole had been released from psychiatric care.

He was said to have flown into a jealous rage when he went to the home of Ms Ovis’ grandmother and allegedly heard the couple having sex.

Even though Cole and Ms Ovis had initially been in a relationship, she then began one with Mr Crompton, which enraged Cole, who refused to accept she had dumped him.

He went to the house equipped with a rucksack; which contained petrol, matches, a kitchen knife, rope, gloves, a torch, a microphone and tape recorder.

When he thought he heard the pair having sex via the microphone he had posted through a letterbox, he smashed through the bedroom window and murdered the pair in bed.

Miss Ovis had been stabbed 52 times. Mr Crompton suffered 38 stab wounds.

He then drove to Llandrindod Wells Hospital where he admitted what he had done. Cole told authorities he would kill again if he was ever freed.

Cole was reported to have had a difficult relationship with his mother almost since birth and was effectively brought up by his grandmother.

He led a reclusive lifestyle and had barricaded himself in his room until he was compulsorily admitted to the former psychiatric hospital, where he met Ms Ovis and Mr Crompton, who were also patients.

She was said to have been his first real female friend but he was unable to accept her relationship with Mr Crompton.

Male prisons in the UK are organised into 4 categories:

Category A

These are high security prisons. They house male prisoners who, if they were to escape, pose the most threat to the public, the police or national security.

Category B

These prisons are either local or training prisons.

Local prisons house prisoners that are taken directly from court in the local area (sentenced or on remand), and training prisons hold long-term and high-security prisoners.

Category C

These prisons are training and resettlement prisons; most prisoners are located in a category C. They provide prisoners with the opportunity to develop their own skills so they can find work and resettle back into the community on release.

Category D

These open prisons have minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend most of their day away from the prison on licence to carry out work, education or for other resettlement purposes. Open prisons only house prisoners that have been risk-assessed and deemed suitable for open conditions.