Killer Freed in the Morning, Took a Life by Night – Public Fury Grows Over Prison Release Scheme

A man who had just walked out of prison under the government’s early release scheme ended up taking another man’s life later that same day—sparking outrage over the controversial policy.

Liam Matthews, 26, had only just been released from HMP Holme House when he got caught up in a deadly street brawl. Hours later, he fatally stabbed Lewis Bell, a 26-year-old dad, during a fight outside a known drug den. The confrontation unfolded after Matthews saw two other men attacking Bell and decided to get involved—slashing him with a chisel.

Bell didn’t survive the attack. The incident took place during the first month of the government’s emergency early release plan, brought in to ease pressure on dangerously overcrowded prisons. The fallout has left many asking how someone with a known history of violence was allowed back onto the streets so soon, reported Metro.co.uk.

Matthews, who had been jailed for violent disorder following a street fight in 2023, was convicted of manslaughter at Teesside Crown Court. But he wasn’t alone. Sean McLeod, 23, was found guilty of murder, Ashton White, 18, convicted of manslaughter, and Macauley Wright, 26, was convicted of assisting an offender. The group fled the scene after the attack, ditching weapons and clothes with the help of Wright, who also arranged a getaway taxi. All four will be sentenced in June.

Lewis Bell’s family are heartbroken. In a statement, they described him as a “much-loved father, son, brother and uncle” and condemned the brutality of the attack. “Lewis was killed in the most brutal and heartless way. We hold all three males convicted responsible for his murder despite the convictions of two of them for manslaughter.”

Detective Chief Inspector David Glass said it was a premeditated assault. “Lewis Bell did not deserve to die. This was a pre-planned, sustained attack by a gang who chased him down with weapons in the street. They inflicted a number of stab wounds, one of which was fatal, and they left him to die.”

The Ministry of Justice said it would investigate the case fully, though it defended the wider policy. A spokesperson said: “We had no choice but to introduce an emergency early release programme. We did so with protections in place, including exclusions for those serving for serious violent crimes.”

But as this case shows, even with safeguards, the risk of reoffending was never far away. And now, one family is left picking up the pieces.