Maria Pearson, jailed for stabbing her ex-boyfriend's fiancée 17 times, will be released under strict conditions, despite her victim's family pleading for her to remain behind bars19:34, 30 Jun 2026The UK’s longest-serving female prisoner is set to be freed from prison after the Parole Board approved her release.‌Maria Pearson, 70, has spent almost 39 years behind bars after stabbing her ex-boyfriend’s new partner, Janet Newton, to death in 1986. She was initially ordered to serve a minimum of 12-years before being considered for parole. But repeated concerns over her behaviour and the risk she posed to the public kept her in prison for an extra 27 years.‌In a decision summary released on Tuesday, the Parole Board confirmed Pearson’s tenth review had been successful, concluding she no longer poses a significant risk to society. It said: “The panel was satisfied that imprisonment was no longer necessary for the protection of the public and that she poses no more than a minimal risk of further serious offending.”‌The board described it as a “finely balanced” decision and said Pearson would be released on licence under strict conditions, including living at a designated address, complying with a curfew enforced by electronic tagging for a year and avoiding contact with Janet Newton’s family.Ahead of the hearing, Janet’s sister Lynn urged the Parole Board not to release Pearson. She previously told the Mirror: “She is not only Britain’s longest female prisoner but Britain’s most dangerous female prisoner as well.”‌Despite community offender managers assessing Pearson “posed a high risk of causing serious harm”, the Parole Board approved her release on licence. The decision came after Pearson had spent almost 39 years in prison, more than notorious murderer Myra Hindley, who had served 36 years when she died in November 2002.The highly publicised murder took place in 1986 after Pearson became obsessively jealous of her former partner’s new girlfriend, 23-year-old Janet Newton. Two days after Janet became engaged to Malcolm Pearson, Maria Pearson confronted her and stabbed her 17 times in the chest. The knife penetrated Ms Newton’s heart and she was left lying in a pool of blood, Teesside Crown Court later heard.Pearson, from Hartlepool, County Durham, had married welder Malcolm Pearson in 1986, days after the birth of their daughter. But the couple split after he discovered she had married him bigamously without divorcing her first husband, Sam Travers.‌Their relationship was described as “intense and stormy” and their baby was taken into care following a serious incident at their home. Malcolm later began a relationship with Janet, with Pearson stalking the 23-year-old and her family, including sending hate letters to Janet’s mother.Aged 31, Pearson was convicted of murder in 1987 and ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years before becoming eligible for parole. She first became eligible for release 28 years ago, but repeated applications were refused, leading campaigners to label her Britain’s “forgotten inmate”.‌In 2006, a recommendation that Pearson should be transferred to an open prison and prepared for release was rejected by then Home Secretary John Reid. Pearson later accused the decision of being “politically motivated”.Her ninth parole review, completed in 2023, concluded she was not suitable for release because of the nature of the murder, her behaviour in custody and the evidence presented to the hearing.Lynn told the Mirror: “Every time she applies for parole I have had to write the victim impact letter on why she should not be released. When my sister died, I had nightmares for months afterwards - I’d wake up screaming. The nightmares and the sense of dread have begun again.‌“All I can do is wait and pray the worst does not happen. I lost my soulmate that day, and I can never forgive her killer - not just what she has put us through by taking Janet’s life but for the years since but how she’s shown no remorse for what she did. She’s pure evil.”According to the Parole Board summary, Pearson had made “mixed progress” in prison, engaging with psychotherapy and completing a thinking skills programme, while also presenting “ongoing challenges” in her relationships with professionals. Some experts assessed her as posing a high risk of serious harm, others concluded her risk could be managed safely in the community.The summary added: “The panel accepted that Ms Pearson presents a risk of harm, particularly in situations where she feels distressed, challenged or under pressure. However, it concluded that the risk of serious violent reoffending is low, noting the absence of comparable behaviour over many years in custody and the specific circumstances of the original offence.”Article continues belowHer prison offender manager, lead clinical psychologist and the operational manager of the enhanced offender management service - all of whom had worked closely with Pearson for several years supported her release.