Date revealed for Nuneaton schoolgirl Naomi Smith's killer Edwin Hopkins' 'freedom' hearing

A date has been confirmed for the killer of Nuneaton schoolgirl Naomi Smith to bid for his freedom again. The Parole Board for England and Wales has confirmed to CoventryLive when the hearing will be held to decide if Edwin Hopkins will be freed from prison again.

The hearing has been scheduled for October 8. Hopkins was put back behind bars just 23 days after he was released for breaching his strict conditions of release.

Earlier this year, he made a bid to be freed again and a Member Case Assessment (MCA) was held. At the MCA, two options were available, the case could be decided on paper or it could require an oral hearing.

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The decision was made for an oral hearing to be held. This will take place in the Autumn and will decide if he can be freed again.

Details of which of the strict conditions attached to Hopkins' release were broken have not been revealed. However, CoventryLive has seen the list and it included not coming back to the Nuneaton area or engaging with children.

Hopkins was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years after being convicted of the schoolgirl's brutal murder in a playground off the Brett Hall Estate in Ansley, close to where she lived, in January 1997.

He ended up serving longer as he made several failed attempts at seeking parole. His parole board papers revealed that he still maintains his innocence despite DNA evidence being a key part of his conviction.

TV documentaries have been made about the police investigation, one of the biggest ever undertaken by Warwickshire Police at the time. One, released earlier this year, revealed how groundbreaking forensics were used to bring him to justice.

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