CALLS for a Bournemouth murderer’s upcoming parole hearing to be the first heard publicly in the UK have received backing from justice secretary, Dominic Raab.

Russell Causley murdered his wife Carole Packman in Bournemouth in 1985 and has never revealed the location of her body despite several admissions and retractions.

Having been freed from prison in 2020, only to return last year for breaching his license conditions, the killer will again have his plight for freedom heard at a parole hearing on October 6 and 14.

His grandson Neil Gillingham has launched a campaign for his “evil” grandfather’s parole hearing the first in the UK to be held publicly and has now been backed in his fight by justice secretary and deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab MP.

Bournemouth Echo: Russell Causley. Picture: Al StewartRussell Causley. Picture: Al Stewart

In a letter seen by the Echo written to the MP of Carole Packman's family, justice minister Stuart Andrew said his colleague Mr Raab “was asked for his view on the application and has decided to support the application.”

The Ministry of Justice re-iterated that this was Mr Raab's view when asked by the Echo.

Responding to the government backing, Neil, 32, told the Echo: “I welcome Dominic Raab’s earlier announcement that he too supports our application for Russell Causley to have his case heard publicly.

“Almost two years ago I made calls for controversial killers like my grandfather to be heard publicly. It’s absurd that we convict in an open court yet release in a closed court with no public or media scrutiny.

Bournemouth Echo: Bournemouth woman Carole Packman, whose body has never been found after disappearing in 1985Bournemouth woman Carole Packman, whose body has never been found after disappearing in 1985

“Even more so in cases such as ours where the remains of the victim have not been recovered and there has been changes in accounts given.

“This will be our eighth parole hearing, so far Causley has made five confessions of what he did to his wife. It’s about time the public sees for themselves what we are dealing with.

“The final decision lies with the Parole Board chair, it is for them to decide if our case meets the threshold of public justice or not – I encourage them to make the correct decision.”

The Parole Board said it has acknowledged the application for Causley’s hearing to be made public and that a decision has yet to be made. The Daily Echo has applied to attend the hearing of Causley if it is heard in public.