The parents of Joshua Hall, who was stabbed to death six years ago, are speaking out against their son's killer after discovering they have been posting on social media from prison. Kirsty and Michael Hall say seeing images of the killer posing with other prisoners has left them questioning 'his remorse' and calling for time to be added to his sentence. The Ministry of Justice has stated that they are acting immediately to find out how this happened, describing it as 'totally unacceptable'.
'Why not go quietly? Why not take your punishment? You took a life – where is your regret? Where is your remorse?' Ms Hall said, expressing her anger and frustration. The family believes the posts are designed to project a 'gangster image' and gain kudos. They have struggled to get answers from the Ministry of Justice about how the images were taken, what punishment will follow, and why the social media account involved remains active.
The Halls are now calling for extra time to be added to the killer's sentence, which currently stands at 14 years. They believe the latest developments demonstrate that the original sentence was too lenient. 'We want time added on to the sentence of Josh's murderer. It was lenient in the first place,' Mr Hall said.
The Ministry of Justice has stated that having a mobile phone in prison and posting on social media is illegal and those caught can face further punishment, including additional restrictions or more time added to their sentence. The posts have since been taken down, but the Halls say the images raise wider concerns about whether rules are being properly enforced behind bars.