Overview

• Cooke was convicted in 1989 for the 1985 manslaughter of 14-year-old Jason Swift and received two life sentences in 1999 for systematically abusing two teenage brothers.
• A private panel reviewed his latest release application in June and highlighted his persistent denial of wrongdoing and the threat of serious harm he poses.
• At 98, he has become the oldest inmate ever to face a UK parole hearing, marking his twelfth unsuccessful bid for freedom.
• Investigators suspect Cooke led the “Dirty Dozen” gang, which is linked to the abduction and murder of up to 17 boys across East London and beyond in the 1970s and 1980s.
• Held at Category A Wakefield Prison with no plans for transfer to open conditions, he is set to spend his remaining years behind bars.