M25 road rage killer Kenneth Noye, 72, spent more than £105,000 of taxpayers’ money on appeals, judicial reviews and lawyers’ bills before his release from prison
- Kenneth Noye, now 72, stabbed Stephen Cameron to death on the M25 in 1996
- A Freedom of Information request has now revealed the legal aid Noye has spent
- The victim’s father slammed the news, describing the legal aid as ‘blood money’
Road rage killer Kenneth Noye, who was released from prison earlier this week, spent more than £100,000 of taxpayers’ money in his bid for freedom.
The 72-year-old was freed after serving nearly 20 years for the vicious stabbing of Stephen Cameron, 21, on an M25 slip road near Swanley, Kent, in 1996.
Now, a freedom of information request has revealed he spent £105,454 of legal aid on appeals, judicial reviews and lawyer bills since 2001.
Noye was released after a parole board praised his ‘improved victim awareness’, ‘clear life goals’ and ‘ability to control his emotions.’
Mr Cameron’s father Ken Cameron has slammed the news, saying that the legal aid is ‘outrageous’ and describing it as ‘blood money’.
Kenneth Noye, pictured last year outside an open prison, spent more than £100,000 on legal aid in his bid for freedom
The cold-blooded 1996 murder took place in front of Mr Cameron’s 17-year-old fiancée Danielle Cable, while Noye was out on licence from a previous prison term.
According to The Sun on Sunday, a judicial review of Noye’s case between 2016 and 2018 cost the public purse £48,507, while he was granted £7,282 for another review between 2003 and 2005.
A total of £40,119 went on repeated unsuccessful appeals against his conviction and sentence between 2003 and 2011, while other costs came from representation at a police station, prison and in magistrates’ courts.
Information on his costs is only held from 2001 onwards, meaning the figures do not include costs incurred during his murder trial in 2000 or his extradition from Spain after he was arrested there in 1998.
The Legal Aid Agency said anyone facing a crown court trial is eligible for legal aid, subject to a strict means test, and that some applicants can be required to pay contributions up to the entire cost of the defence.
The victim’s father previously said he ‘feels disappointed’ that the man who killed his son was able to walk free.
Noye stabbed 21-year-old Stephen Cameron (left) to death on a slip road to the M25 in Swanley, Kent, in 1996. Noye then went on the run in Spain
Speaking on the day of Noye’s release, Ken Cameron said he had been resigned to the fact that his son’s murderer would one day be released.
‘We never wanted revenge for Stephen – all we have ever wanted was justice. He left Stephen dying in the gutter that day.
‘Justice would have been life in jail – not him walking the streets now. Releasing him after 19 years is not justice.’
Mr Cameron’s father Ken Cameron says that the legal aid is ‘outrageous’ and branded it ‘blood money’
The Ministry of Justice said in a statement: ‘We understand this will be a distressing decision for the family of Stephen Cameron and our thoughts remain with them.
‘Like all life sentence prisoners released by the independent Parole Board, Kenneth Noye will be on licence for the remainder of his life, subject to strict conditions and faces a return to prison should he fail to comply.’
Last month the Parole Board confirmed his release from an open jail has been approved after it ruled he is no longer a ‘significant risk to the public’.
Despite his history of violence stretching back decades, the parole panel said they were impressed by the killer’s ‘decision-making’, ‘maturity about his situation’ and ‘insight into his past behaviour’.
The decision has allowed Noye to walk free from Standford Hill open prison in Kent.
Retired Detective Superintendent Nick Biddiss, who helped bring Noye to justice, said: ‘Stephen Cameron’s family have been let down by the criminal justice system.
‘I don’t know where these people are coming from in making this decision and allowing him to be released. The system believes murder is hardly worth thinking about.
‘What is going on? It makes a joke of the life sentence. There’s no doubt Noye will now be back to his criminal network.
Noye pictured in custody in the UK after his arrest in Spain over the M25 murder
‘He truly has pulled the wool over everybody’s eyes.
‘People need to think about his victim’s family. They live the rest of their lives with their own life sentence. What sort of justice do they get?’
Mr Biddiss said he thought Noye would be monitored now he is released but questioned how closely this would be.
He added: ‘He’s disappeared once, what’s to say he will not do that again?
‘He’s a career criminal.’
Mr Cameron whose wife Toni, died in April 2016 following a short illness added that she was glad she hadn’t been around to see it.
Former gangster Kenneth Noye’s life of crime
1947: Kenneth Noye is born in Bexleyheath, south east London
1977: Falls into crime and gets an 18-month suspended sentence for having a shotgun.
November 1983: The Brink’s Mat robbery took place where six gunman burst into the warehouse near Heathrow and escaped with £26.3million.
January 1985: Stabbed police officer John Fordham, who was investigating the robbery, to death in grounds of his home in West Kingsdown, Kent. He was under surveillance at the time.
December 1985: Jury clear Noye of murder after agreeing he acted in self-defence
July 1986: Jailed for 14 years for conspiring to handle Brinks Mat gold and evade VAT payments.
1994: He is released from prison.
May 1996: Stabbed Stephen Cameron, 21, to death in a road rage attack on the M25 near Swnaley, Kent
August 1998: Noye arrested in Barbate, Spain.
April 2000: Noye convicted of murder and given a life sentence
2017: Authorised for move to open prison. He is seen on day release from Standford Hill prison a year later.
May 2019 Parole Board announced decision to free him.
June 2019 Kenny Noye is released
‘She always said the only way she wanted to see Noye come out of jail was in a wooden box.
‘There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think of Stephen. Noye is now out to live his life and do what he wants.
‘I’m sure he will go to Spain to a nice little bolt hole and live the good life. He’s a free man now but our family will grieve for Stephen every day.’
Former career criminal Noye, once acquitted of murdering a policeman after claiming self-defence, has been at Standford Hill open prison in Kent for the past 18 months – just 30 miles from his victim’s father.
When talking about the parole board decision, Ken said: ‘This is a joke. It’s nonsense.
‘Noye has always been a nasty and violent man all his life and some courses and programmes in prison are not going to change that.
‘He says what they want to hear and he does what they want to see.
‘He would have made out he is a good boy to them. But he will walk out of that prison and pick up from where he left off.
‘He’s pulled the wool over their eyes and now he is being released.
‘He’s never going to change. He’s an evil man.’
Justifying the decision to release him, a spokesman for the parole board said: ‘We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Kenneth Noye following an oral hearing.
‘Parole Board decisions are solely focused on whether someone would represent a significant risk to the public after release.
‘The panel will have carefully looked at a whole range of evidence, including details of the original evidence and any evidence of behaviour change. We do that with great care and public safety is our number one priority.’
In 1985, Noye stabbed to death Detective Constable John Fordham in the grounds of Kent mansion. He was cleared of murder.
But the following year he was jailed for 14 years for handling gold bullion stolen in the infamous 1983 Brink’s-Mat robbery. Twice refused parole, he was freed in 1994.
After the 1996 M25 attack, Noye fled, arranged for the Land Rover he was driving to be disposed of, and flew to Spain where he lived under a false name until his arrest in 1998.
When he was convicted of murder in 2000, he was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years.
Ex-Flying Squad head Barry Phillips said: ‘If people look at what Noye has done in his life, and the trail of death and human misery he has left behind him, they will perhaps conclude he should stay behind bars for the rest of his natural.’
‘He’s demonstrated maturity about his situation’: The parole board’s full decision on why Noye can go free
A summary of the parole decision states: ‘Evidence was presented at the hearing regarding Mr Noye’s successful completion of accredited programmes when detained in closed prison conditions, earlier in his sentence.
‘These had addressed decision-making, better ways of thinking and considering consequences, and a tendency to use violence in certain conditions.
‘He had also completed a training course focused on improved victim awareness and, shortly before being transferred to open conditions, he had participated in a more advanced programme dealing with strategies to avoid use of violence.
‘The panel heard how well Mr Noye had demonstrated application of relevant skills and learning while in custody.
‘Witnesses described his good conduct and compliance in prison and charted the progress he had made during this sentence. He had worked positively with officials dealing with his case and had demonstrated maturity about his situation, as well as greater insight into his past behaviour.
‘He had demonstrated an ability to deal appropriately with potentially violent situations in prison and was clearly well motivated to avoid further offending in the community.
‘The professional witnesses were all of the view that Mr Noye had addressed his risk factors appropriately and had reduced his risk to the public to a level at which, with a robust risk management plan in place, it would be manageable safely in the community.
‘The panel noted a number of protective factors (i.e. factors likely to reduce risk) including Mr Noye’s current proven ability to control his emotions, his clear life goals, his relationships, and his proven ability to work with professionals and accept advice when it is needed.
‘The panel carefully examined the release and risk management plan provided by Mr Noye’s probation officer and weighed its proposals against assessed risks.
‘The plan included a requirement to reside at a designated address and very close monitoring of Mr Noye’s situation and behaviour, including strict limitations on his contacts, movements and activities.
‘The panel was satisfied that this plan was sufficiently robust to enable Mr Noye’s risk to be managed safely in the community.
‘The panel said it was satisfied Noye met the tests for release and was suitable for return in the community.’
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