OWEN Oyston, Britain's richest prisoner, will not be released from jail for another year - because he refuses to admit that he raped a former fashion model at Claughton Hall, Lancaster, the baronial hall where he lived until he was jailed for six years in 1996.
The media tycoon and owner of Blackpool Football Club, could have walked out on parole within a few weeks, but he refused point blank when before the parole board earlier this week to admit any guilt. It was a formality that his hopes for an early release would be turned down.
Labour MP Dale Campbell-Savours, who has been investigating the case, had told Home Secretary Jack Straw in the House of Commons a few weeks ago, that Oyston was prepared to stay in prison. "Mr Oyston has refused to concede any element of guilt in this case, even though, if he did, he might secure early parole." The MP was last night awaiting the specific reasons for the parole board's decision. "Until we know why they reached their conclusions it is difficult for me to discuss them."
Vicki Oyston said: "Owen has always known the consequences of this, but remains steadfast that he is not prepared to lie, even to manipulate a system that has let him down so badly, so many times."
Oyston is in Wealstun Prison, West Yorkshire. He lost an appeal against his conviction and sentence last year and the only chance he now has of a release before the automatic two-thirds stage of his sentence is through the Criminal Cases Review Commission which is investigating.
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