The mother of a murdered woman has warned that her daughter’s killer is “a ticking bomb” as he prepares for release from prison.
Doreen Soulsby expressed her terror at the imminent freedom of Steven Ling, who brutally killed her daughter Joanne Tulip in 1997.
“What the parole board has done is tick all the boxes. What they haven’t done is stand back and look at the man and look at what he did in 1997 and what he’s still doing in prison,” she told GB News.
Ling, a farm worker who was 23 at the time, stabbed 29-year-old Joanne Tulip 60 times on Christmas Day 1997.
Doreen Soulsby demanded her daughter’s killer stays in jail
GB NEWS
He mutilated her body, carving crosses and swastikas onto it both before and after her death.
The killer, now 50, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1998 at Newcastle Crown Court, where the judge heard the murder was motivated by sadism.
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Doreen Soulsby joined Ben Leo on GB News
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Though a rape charge was left on file, the Parole Board noted: “Mr Ling has always accepted that he raped the victim.”
The Parole Board has refused to overturn its ruling that Ling should be released, despite an appeal from Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
A Parole Board spokesperson said the decision was “based on the evidence” and focused solely on whether the prisoner’s risk could be managed in the community.
His release will come with strict conditions, including informing authorities about any relationships, adhering to a curfew, and staying away from an exclusion zone to avoid contact with Joanne’s family.
Joanne Tulip was murdered in 1997
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Two psychologists supported his release, noting his “shame” about his “monstrous” past.
Soulsby expressed grave concerns about Ling’s continued sexual fixation.
“All the sexual things he did in 1997 – the thoughts and fantasies he had then, he still has now in prison,” she said.
She fears for women’s safety upon his release, stating: “I strongly fear that any woman that Ling becomes involved with will not be safe.”
“Given today’s outcome, the public’s confidence in our justice system will be broken and shattered forever with no way of repairing it,” she added.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Joanne Tulip at this difficult time. We are disappointed with this outcome but respect the independent Parole Board’s decision.”
The spokesman emphasised that Ling will be subject to lifelong supervision.
“Ling will be on licence for the rest of his life, with strict conditions and probation supervision after he is released, and he faces an immediate return to prison if he breaks the rules.”
