Blunders let rapist out to kill

LONDON - A convicted rapist who murdered a woman months after being let out of jail was too dangerous to have been released, a scathing report says.

The report uncovered a series of further blunders that allowed Anthony Rice to roam with little supervision after his release on licence. At one point his curfew was relaxed to allow him to attend a pub quiz, even though he had committed his previous offence after drinking.

Rice, 49, had been convicted of offences including rape, indecent assault and threats to kill, dating back to 1972. He received a life sentence in 1989 for attempted rape, indecent assault and actual bodily harm. He was released after serving 16 years.

Nine months after his release, he struck up a friendship with Naomi Bryant, a 40-year-old single mother. He strangled and stabbed her to death in Winchester last August.

Shortly before the murder Rice - said to have a deep-seated loathing of women - had attacked a random passer-by, but had not been caught.

Andrew Bridges, the Chief Inspector of Probation, raised the possibility that officials were sidetracked into considering Rice's human rights rather than public safety.

- INDEPENDENT