Dad's anguish as man who strangled teen daughter to death is walking free

The dad of a teenager who was strangled to death and left half-naked in a field has slammed a decision that means her 'animal' killer is walking free.

James Duggan murdered 'sweet and innocent' Rebecca Ryle, 19, in 2004 just six months after she and her family had moved from Bolton to Western Australia.

Rebecca's father Francis Ryle, 63, has spoken out after Duggan, from Liverpool but who emigrated to Australia as a child, was allowed to walk free despite being previously jailed for 26 weeks for breaching a sexual risk order (SRO) - given on his return to the country due to the '"sexual motive" behind Rebecca's killing - which detectives discovered when he punched a woman he was in a relationship with in the stomach.

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"Words fail me" he told the Liverpool Echo. "I want to believe in the good side of everyone and be understanding if they had bad circumstances and everything but I just feel this guy is bad to the bone. I just can't see any redemption. You know, I really can't."

In April 2006 Duggan was sentenced to life in prison in Australia with a minimum term of 11 years after being found guilty of Rebecca's murder. During the trial, the Western Australian Supreme Court heard how Duggan met his victim in a pub in Perth on the evening of May 5, 2004 and offered to walk her home before strangling her.

Duggan was refused parole following a hearing in 2019, in part due to his lack of acknowledgment of wrongdoing and apparent lack of remorse. But his case was reviewed again in September 2021 when the Attorney General recommended his release after he had "imparted remorse and regret towards the offence, as well as acknowledging the