BREAKING NEWS: Essex Boys 'triple murderer' Michael Steele to be released from jail

A gangland killer jailed over a notorious triple murder that inspired a series of gangster flicks is set to be released from prison.

Michael Steele, 81, (above right) was one of two men convicted of the notorious Essex Boys murders in 1998 after three drug dealers were found shot dead inside a Range Rover on an isolated farm track near Basildon.

After a Parole Board hearing, which was adjourned several times, concluded on November 12, a summary of its findings published today said that he was fit for release.

The summary said: "Evidence was presented at the hearings regarding Mr Steele’s progress and custodial conduct during this sentence. His behaviour in prison had shown a marked improvement and "Mr Steele had been engaging more closely with those supervising him. None of the witnesses considered that his risks would be imminent if Mr Steele was released to the community at this stage. His probation officer and the official supervising his case in prison were concerned that Mr Steele had accessed no formal risk-reduction interventions while in prison.

"He had not been assessed as suitable for accredited programmes, partly through lack of need and partly because he had maintained his innocence of involvement in the murders. Mr Steele had, however, more recently participated in a motivational training course and had had the benefit of educational and vocational services.

"The psychologist witness who was employed by the prison service remained concerned about the level of insight demonstrated by Mr Steele and aspects of his style of thinking, including his preparedness to desist from involvement with drugs. However, the psychologist commissioned by Mr Steele’s legal team advised that there were no evident risk areas remaining active and that currently assessed risk levels were minimal."

He will be subject to strict limitation on the outside including a designated accommodation and restrictions on his contacts.

He must also "be of good behaviour", disclose financial details and any business-related matters, surrender his passport, and to report as required for supervision or other appointments.

Steele will also be subject to an enhanced form of supervision or monitoring including signing-in times, electronic tagging and a specified curfew.

There will be limitations concerning named contacts, his activities and residency, and exclusion conditions to avoid contact with victims and prevent access to firearms.

He must also meet specified restrictions relating to the use of electronic technology and contact with the media or other publications and not to own a boat, airplane or firearm.

Drug dealers Pat Tate, 37, Tony Tucker, 38, who acted as security for boxer Nigel Benn, and Craig Rolfe, 26, were found dead by farmers in the vehicle on the snowy track at Rettendon on the morning of December 7 1995.

It is believed they were blasted with shotguns by Steele and Jack Whomes, 63, (top left) the night before in a row over a drugs deal.

The discovery of the gangster's bodies was less than three weeks after the death of Leah Betts, 18, who took an ecstasy pill from a bad batch believed to have been supplied by the three victims, sparking national outrage.

An image of her laying in intensive care was released by her policeman father Paul Betts as a deterrent to other youngsters.

The shocking gangland murders spawned a series of gangster flicks started by the 2000 film Essex Boys, which starred Sean Bean, and the Rise of the Footsoldier movies.

Steele and Whomes were convicted in 1998 of the grisly murders, but have always protested their innocence.

They were given life with a minimum term of 23 years after being found guilty at the Old Bailey.

Whomes was released in early 2021 and has given no media interviews to protest his innocence, down to strict licence conditions which prevent this, according to supporters.

Although the Ministry of Justice refused to confirm this was a condition of his licence.

Steele's parole hearing was previously adjourned for further information after Steele made corruption allegations against Essex Police during earlier parole reviews.

The pair have previously failed to overturn their convictions at the Court of Appeal and in 2023 the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) rejected an application from their lawyers to refer their convictions back to the Court of Appeal.

The application was based on information in a leaked secret Met Police anti-corruption report that detailed how an organised crime boss was secretly recorded on police tape, on the day Leah died on November 16 1995, offering to arrange the murders of the suppliers of the drug that killed her.

The proposal was made to a retired detective suspected of having a corrupt relationship with the crime lord, who was secretly being bugged.

Details of the recording were never disclosed to the defence during the trial of Whomes and Steele, but after looking into the non-disclosure for six years, the CCRC concluded it was not enough to provoke a retrial.

A new application to the CCRC is currently under review after a team of former detectives submitted a dossier of evidence they claim casts doubt on the prosecutions.

In a rare step, the CCRC has accepted submissions from a third party other than the defence, before agreeing to carry out the fresh review of the convictions.

A CCRC spokesperson said: "Applications have been received in relation to these individuals, and a review is currently underway.

“It would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment while the applications are under review.”

It is understood that the review follows the submission of a dossier of evidence from the team of former Met Police murder detectives who spent about three years reviewing the case before becoming convinced Steele and Whomes are innocent.

Whomes and Steele were convicted largely on the evidence of supergrass Darren Nicholls, 59, who claimed to be their getaway driver and is now under witness protection.

He agreed to turn Queen's evidence after being arrested in May 1996 on suspicion of being involved in a cannabis importation.

Former Met Police DCI Dave McKelvey, who led the review for his private investigation firm TM Eye, was Nicholls' arresting officer and had been convinced of the pair's guilt before looking into the case.

TM Eye was not commissioned by the defence and was not instructed by them but was allowed access to case papers after expressing interest in the case.

Mr McKelvey now claims to have evidence that Nicholls was coached into what he said in the witness box and the case is mired in corruption, including details of a probe into a senior detective on the case being withheld as was his affair with one of the victim's girlfriends.

TM Eye's report also suggests several lines of enquiry into other possible killers were not pursued by Essex Police.

This includes the confession of Canning Town criminal Billy Jasper who gave a signed statement saying he was the getaway driver for a different named and lone killer after he was arrested on suspicion of an armed robbery.

His account was made to police in January 1996, about four months before Nicholls' version of events.

Mr McKelvey posted on Linkedin: "It is an appalling miscarriage of justice. The truth is finally beginning to emerge and the matter is now back with the CCRC, with damning new evidence of wide-scale police corruption."

Essex Police maintains the prosecution was sound.

An Essex Police spokesperson said: "There has been an exhaustive police investigation into the murders of Pat Tate, Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe in Rettendon on December 6, 1995, which resulted in the conviction of Michael Steele and Jack Whomes for their murder.

"Since then, this case has been back before the Court of Appeal twice, in 1999 and 2006.

"These appeals have included focus upon key evidential aspects of the case. Both appeals were rejected and in 2006 Lord Justice Kay commented that there was no “element of unsafety” relating to the original convictions of both defendants.

"This case has also been reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) who, as recently as January 2023, took the decision not to refer this case back to the Court of Appeal.

"We will of course always work with the CCRC and keep any new information under review."