Overview
- The Ministry of Justice confirmed he was freed in November 2025 after the Parole Board judged him suitable for release.
- He is subject to strict licence conditions for life and can be recalled to prison if he breaches them.
- Paula Poolton’s father, Phil Cross, expressed continuing anguish, saying he learned of the release via a victim liaison letter and has heard reports of sightings in Shirley.
- Kearney has always denied the murder, which was later re-examined in a BBC Two documentary that also streamed on Netflix, with no miscarriage of justice proved.
- Poolton, 40, was found stabbed in the boot of her car near Swanwick railway station in October 2008, and Kearney was jailed for life in 2010 with a 15-year minimum term.