Murderer who beat dad to death in front of his daughters has open prison bid blocked

A thug convicted for his part in the notorious murder of a Warrington dad has had a proposed move to an open prison blocked by the government. Garry Newlove, 47, was savagely beaten in front of his terrified young daughters.

Three teenagers were convicted of kicking to death the dad-of-three. Mr Newlove, 47, a sales manager originally from Salford, had run barefoot from his Warrington home to challenge them about damage to his wife's car and a neighbour's mini-digger.

The yobs surrounded him, launching a barrage of punches until he fell to the ground with a knee in his back. Mr Newlove's head was kicked "like a football" in front of his daughters Zoe, 18, and Amy, 12. He died two days later from a head injury. The 2007 crime shocked the country.

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Adam Swellings was one of three teenagers found guilty of murder and was jailed for life. He was ordered to serve a minimum sentence of 17 years in prison.

Last month it emerged that the Parole Board had recommended Swellings be moved to an open prison, the Echo reports. However, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has blocked the move, adding his thoughts were with the victim's widow Baroness Helen Newlove.

Mr Raab tweeted: "This was a horrific crime and my thoughts are with Baroness Newlove and her family. It’s my job to keep the public safe - that’s why I’ve blocked Adam Swellings’ move to open prison."

Mr Raab, who shared the tweet on April 29, said the government would now put public protection first. He tweeted: "Under our reforms, we will take a more precautionary approach - with public protection put first."

Earlier this year Mr Raab took control of deciding whether high-risk