The family of a man murdered 24 years ago have said “catastrophic failings” by the probation service enabled his killer to strike again.
Brian Whitlock, 57, has been sentenced to life in prison, meaning he will never be considered for parole. For drug-fueled and “brutal” murders “Bubbly and caring,” retired riding instructor, Wendy Bikini.
He had moved into a flat across the road from the 71-year-old in Clyditch, Swansea, after serving an 18-year sentence for murder and manslaughter. Including killing his own brother.
It is understood a multi-agency investigation into the serious case will now be carried out to determine whether authorities missed opportunities to protect the public from the double killer.
The Probation Service said it was also conducting its own review.
Whole life orders are reserved for the most serious cases.
Nurse Lucy LetbyApril Jones’ killers Mark Bridger and Wayne Cozens, who Killed Sarah Everard when he was a police officer.all were given lifetime orders.
Sentencing Whitlock at Swansea Crown Court, judge Mr Justice Griffiths described the killing as “a frenzy of violence”.
“[Wendy] Knew what you were doing to him. Her injuries included injuries to her hands as she tried to defend herself, but she was certainly no match for you,” he said.
“You described it as torture, and it was.”
He added: “You described her as a second mother to you. She is nothing but grateful, but you brutally murdered her anyway and you never stated a motive.”
Wendy’s family were joined in court for the sentencing by the families of Whitlock’s former victims Nicky Morgan and Glenn Whitlock. Nine of the 12 jurors at his trial also returned to convict him.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Wendy Bikini’s sister Ann said Wendy knew about Whitlock’s past but had given him odd jobs to do around her flat because she felt He deserves a “second chance.”
Applause broke out in the courtroom when the life sentence was handed down.
Warning: This article contains details that some may find disturbing.
Ann said her family can’t stop thinking about the day Wendy was killed and whether she was scared, or “begging him to stop”.
He said: “It didn’t just take one life, it took ours.”
The scale of Wendy’s injuries meant they weren’t able to go to the mortuary to say goodbye.
Hugh Rogers, of the Crown Prosecution Service, described the attack as “sustained and brutal”, adding that Wendy’s family had shown “remarkable perseverance” during the trial.
Family photoSouth Wales Police DT Chief Inspector Matthew Davies said the crime scene was one of the “worst” he had ever investigated.
Along with the extensive injuries on Wendy’s body, he said the flat was “devastated”.
A sofa covered in blood stood on its end and a shelving unit had been torn apart. The broken shelves matched the injuries found on Wendy’s body.
Wendy was naked, and Whitlock’s DNA was found on her underwear. This was the case of the prosecution. He also sexually assaulted her..
He admitted to killing Wendy at the crime scene but in court, where he represented himself, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He says his movement is due to a head injury..
But prosecutors rejected the claim that the combined effects of alcohol and a “fixation” with diazepam, which he had been buying on the streets, had sent him into a violent rage.
A jury at Swansea Crown Court took just six minutes to convict him of murder.
During the court case, it was revealed that this was not the first time he had killed.
Wendy Bikini knew about her neighbor Brian Whitlock’s past and wanted to give him a second chance. But were the opportunities to save the public from this double murderer lost?
See more on this story iPlayer.
Whitlock has already spent 18 years in prison. The murder of 27-year-old Nicky Morgan After drinking and taking diazepam.
He then sets Nicky’s body on fire, starting a fire that kills his own brother Glenn, who is sleeping upstairs.
He was sentenced to life in prison for murder, but was released on license in 2019 and moved to live in Clyditch, near Swansea.
He had to follow strict conditions, including drug testing, and restrictions on where he could go.
Nicky Morgan’s family told BBC Wales He repeatedly warned the probation service that he was traveling to restricted areas and buying drugs.
Whitlock was eventually jailed in December 2020 for assaulting a shop worker.
Nicky’s family then wrote to the parole board, urging them to deny him re-release and warning that he would commit “another heinous crime”.
Family photoIn a decision document seen by BBC Wales, the parole board said it had identified “protective factors” that would reduce his risk of re-offending, including “taking into account the circumstances”. ability and sympathy of the victim”.
Whitelock was released in October 2021.
Melanie Huxley, Nicky Morgan’s sister, said: “From the day he was released he was using drugs, drinking, hanging around Swansea – it was all against his conditions.
“If they had listened, it could have been stopped.”
In the days leading up to Wendy Bikini’s murder, neighbors became concerned about Whitlock’s behavior and reported him to the police.
Videos filmed by a neighbor showed him leaning out of his flat window with blood on his face and the judge slurring what he described as “a very high state of intoxication”. .
DCI Davies said officers attended but no crime was committed and gave appropriate advice.
The parole board said its review of the case had been completed and would not be published, but that it took such matters “extremely seriously” and was “committed to learning lessons”.
The Ministry of Justice, which runs the probation service, said a “more serious offence” was being assessed, the findings of which would be shared with Wendy’s family.
A spokesman added: “This was an appalling crime and our thoughts are with Wendy Bikini’s family and friends.”