Convicted Killer’s Open Prison Transfer Bid Rejected by Court

A man found guilty of killing his former girlfriend in a “frenzied” knife attack has had his application to be transferred to an open prison denied. Karl Oakley, of Luton, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years in 2009, after admitting to the manslaughter of 18-year-old student Taylor Burrows, on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He had challenged the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the Court of Appeal regarding its decision to refuse his move to open conditions. At a hearing in October, his legal representatives argued that the Parole Board had recommended his transfer to an open prison, stating there was “no further work” for him to undertake within a closed correctional facility. However, in a ruling issued on Monday, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Dame Victoria Sharp and Lord Justice William Davis, dismissed Oakley’s appeal. She affirmed that the MoJ’s decision to reject the Parole Board’s recommendation “was entirely rational”. Baroness Carr noted that the MoJ had “considered the board’s advice in detail and with care” and that the department maintained he must complete additional courses in prison before a transfer could be considered. The court was informed that a panel had deemed Oakley “suitable for open conditions” in 2021, but this was rejected by the MoJ. A subsequent application was made in 2023, which was again refused in a further judgment in February 2024. Baroness Carr stated: “The Secretary of State must consider the advice of the board with care and accord it such weight as is appropriate, given the nature, extent and context of the board’s findings and recommendations.” She added: “But the statutory scheme is clear: the Secretary of State is the sole decision maker, and the board acts as adviser.” In 2010, Oakley’s minimum jail term was reduced to 12 years following an appeal. Oakley and Ms Burrows commenced a relationship in spring 2008. He was subsequently barred from her family home when she began missing classes at Luton Sixth Form College. In 2009, the court heard that he had become increasingly violent and had threatened to kill her in the week prior to her death. He also had prior convictions for harassing and assaulting other girlfriends.