The racist murdering brother of Joey Barton has been granted parole and might be released as early as next month.
Michael Barton was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2006 for his participation in the heinous ice pick murder of 18-year-old black Anthony Walker.
Barton, 33, was sent to HMP Thorn Cross, an open prison in Cheshire, in February.
Following a hearing earlier this month, the Parole Board has delivered its decision today.
Barton has been informed that he will be released and could return to the streets in October.
A representative for the Parole Board stated, “We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has ordered Michael Barton’s parole following a hearing.”
Michael Barton (left) and cousin Paul Taylor (20) murdered 18-year-old Anthony Walker in Huyton in 2005, and will face a parole hearing days before the 15th anniversary of the crime.
‘Parole Board judgments are completely based on the risk a prisoner poses to the public and whether or not that risk is managed in the community.
‘A panel will consider a vast array of evidence, including the specifics of the initial crime and any evidence of a change in behavior, as well as the harm caused and impact the incident has had on the victims.
Before an oral hearing, members read and analyze hundreds of pages of evidence and reports.
“At the hearing, evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, prison officials supervising the criminal, and victim personal testimony may be presented.
‘It is customary for the prisoner and witnesses to be extensively questioned throughout the hearing, which frequently lasts a full day or more. The parole review process is conducted meticulously and with considerable care. The protection of the public is our top priority.
The parole review process is conducted meticulously and with considerable care. The protection of the public is our highest priority.
Up the aftermath of the crime, Joey (seen earlier this month) instructed his brother to give himself in.
The release of Barton is subject to a variety of stringent criteria.
According to the information presented in support of his parole application, the murderer highlighted his exceptional behavior and improvement in prison.
A written summary of the ruling notes, ‘At the hearing, evidence was provided regarding Mr. Barton’s improvement and conduct while incarcerated during this sentence.
“He had participated in accredited programs to address his decision-making and had completed two years on a program designed to assist individuals in treating their drug abuse.
Mr. Barton has also done work on victim awareness and participated in a program established and supported by psychologists to assist people in recognizing and resolving their issues.
“There had been no behavioral issues for many years, and Mr. Barton had obtained positions of trust within the jail.”
It was believed that Mr. Barton had addressed earlier concerns about his racist attitudes by increasing his level of maturity and living with a diverse population in prison.
“The panel was informed that Mr. Barton made good use of his time in the open prison, which included testing in the community during various periods of temporary release on licence,” the report continued.
Gee Walker, Anthony’s mother, felt “betrayed” by the parole decision for Barton.
Mr. Barton’s Probation Officer recommended his release in a report presented to the panel, despite the absence of substantial concerns.
The panel determined that Mr. Barton was suitable for release after reviewing the circumstances of his offense, his improvement while in detention, and the evidence provided at the hearing.
The stringent license requirements include an exclusion zone, routine drug testing, the wearing of an electronic tag, and a curfew.
On July 29, 2005, Barton and his then-20-year-old cousin Paul Taylor ambushed 18-year-old Anthony after racially insulting him at a bus stop.
Taylor pierced Anthony’s head with an ice axe at a park in Huyton, Merseyside, before he and his accomplices fled to Amsterdam.
In the same year, the Preston crown court convicted Barton guilty of murder and sentenced him to a minimum of 17 years and 8 months in prison, while Taylor pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years and 8 months in prison.
At Barton’s punishment, he was described as “poisonous to any civilized community.”
In 2016, it was disclosed that Barton’s sentence had been reduced from 18 to 16 years due to his charitable activities in prison.
Dr. Gee Walker, Anthony’s mother, felt “betrayed” by the decision.
Dr. Walker has stated, “Our legal system is a worldwide joke.” Life does not always mean life.
“However, I prefer to forgive since hatred is so damaging,”
She earlier stated, “They promised me 18 years, one year for every year that my son survived.”
If the legal system makes a promise that it cannot uphold, what chance do we have?
“When the judge handed down a life sentence, we were sentenced to a life of ‘what?’ or ‘how?’”
We speculate what he would have been like or how he would have developed. We ponder his current activities.
We are the ones left with this chasm of suffering and perplexity.
Mr. Justice Mitting reduced Barton’s original tariff because the killer’s’remarkable’ metamorphosis in jail met the ‘high standard’ for reducing the sentence.
The judge noted that a post-sentence examination concluded that Barton was a “racist thug” and that he and his fellow gang members “routinely employed violence.”
Nonetheless, he continued by asserting that Barton had undergone a “transformation from a racist thug to a sane, realistic young man” while incarcerated.