‘Essex Boys’ killer can be released from prison, Parole Board says

A man convicted of the “Essex Boys” gangland murders can be released from prison, the Parole Board has said.

Michael Steele was jailed for life in 1998 for the killings of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, which he denied, alongside co-defendant Jack Whomes.

The three men were found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon, near Chelmsford, Essex, in 1995.

The killings took place after a row over a drug deal, prosecutors said, and the case later inspired the 2000 film Essex Boys starring Sean Bean.

A Parole Board panel decided to free Steele, now in his 80s, as his imprisonment was “no longer necessary for the protection of the public”.

He must comply with strict licence conditions including to live at a designated address, be of good behaviour, provide financial and business details, give up his passport, be subject to electronic tagging and a specified curfew.

There are additional restrictions relating to the use of electronic technology, contact with the media or other publications, and not to own a boat, airplane or firearm.

The review was Steele’s second by the Parole Board following the end of his initial minimum term of 23 years’ imprisonment.

Steele had not been assessed as suitable for formal risk-reduction interventions while in prison, “partly through lack of need and partly because he had maintained his innocence of involvement in the murders”, the Parole Board’s summary said.

In its decision summary, published on Thursday, the Parole Board said risk factors for Steele at the time of his offending included his “criminal lifestyle, involvement with drugs and association with the wrong people”.

The report said he had “needed to dominate and control people and events”, adding that access to firearms and his use of weapons had been another factor.

The decision summary added: “Mr Steele had offended for financial gain and out of greed. He had sought to maintain a level of status or respect from others by exerting power.

“There had also been an element of thrill-seeking in his actions.”

The Parole Board said in its summary that Steele’s behaviour in prison had shown “marked improvement” and none of the witnesses considered risks would be imminent if he was released into the community.

A Parole Board spokesman said: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was satisfied that imprisonment was no longer necessary for the protection of the public.”

The Parole Board decided Whomes, then aged 59, could be released in 2021.