Maria Pearson who is now aged 68 was a prisoner in 1987 and has become the UK’s longest-serving female inmate, surpassing Myra Hindley. However, she could soon be released.
Pearson is making her tenth attempt at freedom, with a parole board hearing set for Monday, June 2. Pearson has been in prison for 38 years, which is two years longer than Moors murderer Hindley, who died in 2002 while serving her life sentence at Highpoint Prison near Haverhill.
In 1987, the Hartlepool mother was convicted of murdering Janet Newton, a building society worker, and sentenced to life. She was ordered to serve at least 12 years before being eligible for parole.
Pearson, who was 31 years old at the time of her incarceration, has served an additional 25 years beyond her minimum sentence, according to The Mirror.
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Her innocent victim had lately been engaged to Pearson’s former partner, Malcolm Pearson. Pearson became enraged and stabbed Janet 17 times, leaving her body so mangled that authorities initially thought she was a hit-and-run victim.
Pearson had previously been ‘married’ to Malcolm, but they split when he found she was a bigamist who had never divorced her first husband, Sam Travers. When Malcolm started dating Janet, Pearson began following his new girlfriend and her family.
On Saturday, October 18, 1986, Janet left her house to meet Malcolm. She never went to his place, despite the fact that it was only a five-minute walk away.
When Malcolm looked for her, he found her in a pool of blood. Pearson had driven the blade so hard that it pierced 23-year-old Janet’s heart. Last October 16, which would have been Janet’s 59th birthday, her sister received notice from the parole board. They informed her that Pearson had submitted her ninth parole application, which was being considered.
The Parole Board has now scheduled the hearing for June 2. Pearson’s application had been rejected nine times before.
The Parole Board’s suggestion in 2006 was that Pearson must be relocated to an open prison, so that she can start preparing for her potential release. However, her relocation was refused as she was accused of bullying and intimidation two years before at an open prison. Pearson slammed then-Home Secretary John Reid for dismissing her, claiming it was “politically motivated,” despite accusations about her “unresponsiveness to treatment and unwillingness to conform.”
Pearson’s parole was denied during her most recent review in 2023 because of the gravity of the murder, her conduct while incarcerated, and the evidence given at the hearing. For her latest parole application, she will present her case to the board via video link from her closed prison.
Janet’s sister Lynn, speaking exclusively to The Mirror revealed that she is pleading with the parole board once more to ensure Pearson’s permanent incarceration. She stated: “Every time she applies for parole I have had to write the victim impact letter on why she should not be released.
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“When my sister died, I had nightmares for months afterwards – I’d wake up screaming. The nightmares and the sense of dread have begun again. All I can do is wait and pray the worst does not happen.
“I lost my soulmate that day, and I can never forgive her killer – not just what she has put us through by taking Janet’s life but for the years since but how she’s shown no remorse for what she did. She’s pure evil.”.
Lynn states: “She is not only Britain’s longest female prisoner but Britain’s most dangerous female prisoner as well.”
Lynn would only provide her first name and refuses to be photographed because she and her family are afraid for their lives if Maria’s parole is approved. This is the level of danger Lynn and her family feels.
Pearson’s act of violence in 1987, driven by jealousy and rage over a former partner, resulted in the brutal murder of the 23-year-old Janet Newton. The extraordinary brutality of the incident has remained a focal point in discussions about Pearson’s future, influencing perceptions of her potential to reintegrate into society.
