Law is letting down Joanna Simpson, says Carrie Johnson as she backs bid to keep killer in jail
CARRIE Johnson last night accused the law of letting down Joanna Simpson — as she backed a bid to keep her killer in jail.
The wife of ex-PM Boris wants the case reviewed to “prevent another woman suffering the same fate as dear Jo.”
Speaking at an event for the Joanna Simpson Foundation in Westminster last night, Carrie said: “All we are asking for is that the punishment fits the crime.”
With husband Boris by her side, she said it was “so obviously wrong” that Joanna’s killer Robert Brown would be getting out early.
Brown, 59, battered estranged wife Joanna to death with a claw hammer.
He has served just half his 26-year sentence. and is up for automatic release on licence in November.
Carrie said she remembered friends and family of Joanna describing themselves like “sitting ducks”, totally powerless to do anything.
She said Justice Secretary Dominic Raab should step in to prevent the release, adding: “Surely common sense must prevail.”
Carrie told of her personal struggle to stop the release of black cab rapist John Worboys in 2018 — saying she felt “really scared” at the prospect of him prowling the streets once again.
She was drugged in his cab aged 19.
She said: “It was a similar injustice, a similar circumstance where the law was badly letting victims down and failing to do its job to protect women.
“But what I learnt from that case, is that sometimes, against all odds, you can change things, your voice doesn’t have to go unheard.
“With a great deal of help, I campaigned for a judicial review of the Worboys case which led to him remaining behind bars.”
Worboys was convicted in 2009 for attacks on 12 women with police believing he may have had 100 victims.
A Parole Board decision to release him was quashed after public uproar.
Joanna’s mother Diana Parkes, 83, is fighting to block Brown’s release and said: “He should stay in jail for at least his full sentence.”
Former Cabinet ministers Priti Patel and Robert Buckland are also backing Diana’s calls for the case to be referred to the Parole Board.
Mr Raab will meet with Diana next week to discuss the case after she told of how her family were living in fear at the prospect of his release.
