'I'll get answers on Gentleman Jim's killer'

POLICE commissioner Matthew Grove has promised the family of a murdered pensioner he will get to the bottom of the failings that led to the killer being freed.

Sheila Petrini met Mr Grove earlier this week to talk about her concerns after the murderer attacked another pensioner after he was freed from prison.

Mr Grove has already said he will "demand answers" from the Justice Secretary over the situation.

Mrs Petrini is the daughter of "Gentleman" Jim Maloney, who was killed in 1994 by Christopher Roche.

Roche was released early from a life sentence and went on to attack a 73-year-old man, for which he was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment last week.

Mrs Petrini, of east Hull, only found out about Roche's release and latest crime after reading it in the Mail.

Mr Grove said: "I was very pleased Sheila agreed to meet me.

"I was moved to hear all about her late father Jim and the tragic circumstances of his death at the hands of Christopher Roche, a committed criminal who had already violated the lives and homes of several other vulnerable victims before he killed Jim.

"I have promised Sheila that I will take up the circumstances of Roche's release with the appropriate authorities.

"The loss of Jim has blighted Sheila's life and that of her family for 19 years.

"As victims they deserve to have their voices heard and, as police and crime commissioner, I intend to make sure that happens."

Mrs Petrini also felt the meeting went well.

She said: "It was a positive meeting. We identified the areas that need looking into in the hope this doesn't happen to someone else.

"There have been mistakes made, but by whom? The system has failed us and Mr Grove will try to find out how that happened.

"It is now a case of waiting to see what Mr Grove can discover."

Mrs Petrini believes it is unlikely her family are the only ones to have been failed in this way.

She said: "These mistakes have been made, so it must have happened to other people.

"Our main concern is that a poor man was attacked and perhaps there are other victims at the hands of Roche who haven't even come forward.

"We can't understand why he was allowed back to an area just a two-minute bus journey from where he killed my dad and in an area full of old and vulnerable people."