AN 'evil' killer murdered his ex-partner when he was released on bail after being charged with repeatedly raping her.

Yesterday the parents of nurse Jane Clough told of their anger at the judge's decision to free Jonathan Vass.

And an MP said that the case showed that people suspected of such serious offences should never be freed ahead of their court cases.

Vass, 30, yesterday pleaded guilty to the murder of Miss Clough by repeatedly stabbing her in the car park of Blackpool Victoria Hospital where she worked.

At the time he was on bail after being charged with 13 counts of rape against the 26-year-old nurse, of Barrowford, who he had a nine-month-old baby with.

The rape charges were ordered to lie on file and will not be pursued.

Father John Clough said: "We feel that the justice system has let us and Jane down.

"Firstly by releasing Vass on bail when he was charged with serious crimes and secondly because we expected him to be held to account for all his crimes.

"We came here for justice for Jane and feel that we have been treated badly."

Mother Penny Clough said the decision to bail Vass when facing such serious charges was the wrong move.

She said the feelings of Miss Clough and her family had been disregarded over the issue.

Mrs Clough said: "The fact that he was let out on bail is not the right sort of message for women who want to report rape or sexual assaults.

"He tried to control Jane, he tried to control her friendships and he tried to change her.

"Jane had spent many months living in fear. It was only the last two or three months before she died that she had started to get her life back together and get back to work.

"What is to stop someone committing a crime while on bail?"

Mr Clough said: "Jane was the most lovely daughter we could have ever prayed to have.

"She was intelligent, she was funny, she was beautiful and she was so caring.

"She loved her job at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and she loved her colleagues there.

"She had just returned to work after maternity leave and everyone had been pleased to have her back.

"Jonathan Vass is a despicable person. The public should know what a despicable person he is."

Vass was arrested and appeared in court last year in relation to the rape allegations and was initially remanded in custody.

But his defence team put forward a bail application at a subsequent court appearance earlier this year.

The application was opposed by both the Crown Prosecution Service and the police, but Judge Simon Newell ruled he could be freed on bail.

His bail conditions ordered that he move away from Barrowford and did not contact Miss Clough.

Andrew Stephenson, Pendle MP, said he was staggered that Vass had been ‘freed to kill’.

He said: "Miss Clough and her whole family have been let down by a judge and the system getting it completely wrong.

"How a judge could free this man beggars belief and shows that the system needs reviewing very closely."

Lyn Costello, co-founder of charity Mothers Against Murders and Aggression, said: "He should never have been allowed out when he faced such very serious charges.

"This was a domestic violence issue and sadly domestic violence is not taken seriously enough. This incident shows that things must change."

Vass, a 17 stone ex-bouncer, was a bodybuilding enthusiast who police believe was using steroids.

He was the father of their baby Imogen but the couple had split last year.

Miss Clough continued to live at their home in Camden Street that they had shared for 18 months, while he moved to Fulwood in Preston.

Vass had been working as an ambulance technician since 2005 at the hospital but had been sacked in May.

Police said that on the night he murdered Miss Clough he cycled to the hospital before attacking her as she walked to her car following a late shift.

He was then spotted on CCTV cycling away from the crime scene.

Miss Clough was taken to the A&E unit where she worked, just 100 yards away.

Her colleagues battled to save her but she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

A post-mortem examination showed she died of multiple stab wounds.

Vass, of Conway Drive in Preston, was arrested in Barrowford the morning after the late-night killing on July 25.