Licence to Kill? - a podcast by BBC Radio 4

On October 14, 2016, Michael Hoolickin was murdered by a man he had never met. His killer, Tim Deakin had 55 previous offences. His last crime was to bite a man's ear off in a pub fight.

Deakin was a high risk and prolific offender who had been freed early - "on Probation Service Licence" - to serve what was left of his sentence in the community. Deakin was later jailed for 27 years.At Michael's inquest, the family discovered Deakin had been stopped following a car chase just a few days earlier with no insurance and carrying drugs.

The Coroner outlined serious failures by the people who were supposed to be monitoring Deakin that meant he stayed out of prison and remained free - on license - to kill.

Along with the Hoolickin family, Radio 4 discover the true extent of crimes, many of them violent, committed by people who have been released on license, including where the advice was that they were still a danger to the public.At the heart of this are Michael’s parents, Garry and Leslie, and the torment over their son’s death. It’s this that drives them to uncover and understand the reasons why his murderer wasn't in prison on that night. We follow them as they meet another mother and father still mourning their son after his life was taken in the same circumstances.

Producer: Matt O'Donoghue

Further episodes of Seriously...

Further podcasts by BBC Radio 4

Website of BBC Radio 4