Parents attack judge over daughter's murder

The parents of a nurse who was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend while he was on bail for alleged rape called today for the judge who granted the killer his freedom to be investigated.

Penny and John Clough said the death of their daughter, Jane, would have been prevented if Judge Simon Newell had remanded former bodybuilder Jonathan Vass in custody.

Last month, ambulance technician Vass, 30, was given a life sentence for repeatedly knifing Miss Clough, 26, as she returned to her car at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Six months earlier she had accused him of repeatedly raping her at their home while she was pregnant with his daughter, but he was granted bail after being arrested.

Miss Clough's parents said today that her death was "entirely preventable".

In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5 Live, Mrs Clough said: "I think Judge Simon Newell is responsible for Jane's death. He had the power as a judge to remand Vass in custody and keep Jane safe.

"He, to us, has ignored the police and Crown Prosecution objections and he gave Vass the freedom to kill Jane.

"To me he needs to be investigated as to how he came about that decision and what is going to happen about it. We can't afford as a society to let other women be in a position of risk by people who are free on bail."