Lorraine Thorpe: how lorraine thorpe became the UK's youngest female double murderer
lorraine thorpe was convicted of two murders in 2010 after killing her father and another woman. The Parole Board has said she should not be released but on 24 February she was told she could be moved to an open prison.
Lorraine Thorpe's background
Lorraine Thorpe was 15 when she tortured and murdered a mother-of-two in Ipswich before killing her disabled dad after he threatened to report what his daughter had done. She was raised in poverty in Ipswich, living with her father, Desmond Thorpe, in grubby flats and occasionally in tents. During her trial at Ipswich Crown Court in August 2010, defence barrister Graham Parkins KC said she had become associated with street drinkers in the town and had "led a chaotic lifestyle since she was 12".
The Victims: Rosalyn Hunt and Desmond Thorpe
Rosalyn Hunt, a mother-of-two, was known to Thorpe through the same street drinking community and had previously been in a relationship with Paul Clarke. Hunt was killed between 1 and 10 August 2009. Officers found Hunt dead inside her home after a member of the public who was concerned about her whereabouts raised the alarm on 9 August.
The Victoria Street killings
Thorpe and Paul Clarke, then 41, first held Hunt captive in her flat in Victoria Street, Ipswich. During a seven-week trial the court heard that they tortured her for days using a cheese grater, a fan and dog lead chains, rubbed salt into her wounds and then beat her to death. The sustained abuse was said to have been motivated by Clarke's anger over how Hunt had reportedly allowed his dog to attack a child.
Attack on Desmond Thorpe
After the body of Rosalyn Hunt was found, Thorpe and Clarke were confronted by Thorpe's father, Desmond Thorpe, who threatened to report them to the police. The pair attacked Desmond Thorpe and smothered him to death, with a footprint of his 15-year-old daughter's trainer left on his head.
Perpetrators, trial and sentences
The crimes were carried out alongside Paul Clarke, described at trial as having a "reputation as being quite aggressive, bullying, overbearing and violent" and as a drug addict. Paul Clarke was also described as being a "bully" in the street drinking community. Thorpe and Clarke were given life sentences in 2010, a year after the August 2009 offences. Thorpe was told she would serve at least 14 years in jail. Clarke received a 27-year sentence but died whilst carrying it out.
Parole history and 24 February decision
Thorpe still remains in prison. She has been denied parole twice after the Parole Board deemed her too great a risk to be released, and she was last refused parole in 2023 as it was thought to be too much of a risk for her to be released or moved to an open prison. The Parole Board released a decision on Tuesday, February 24, saying Ms Thorpe should not be released but could be transferred to an open facility to be tested in less restrictive prison conditions. The board said: "After considering the circumstances of her offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel agreed that Ms Thorpe should not be released. " The board also noted she has spent all her adult life in prison.
Reflections from the trial
Colin Adwent, who covered the case during his 20-year career as a crime reporter in Suffolk, said: "[Thorpe] was quite cunning and quite manipulative - but that's hardly surprising given her background and how she grew up. That goes nowhere near excusing what she ended up doing, but she probably didn't have that much of a chance. "
Thorpe remains incarcerated following the convictions for the killings of Rosalyn Hunt and Desmond Thorpe in 2010, with the Parole Board ruling on 24 February that she is not ready for release but may be moved to open conditions for further assessment.
