The brutal killer of a 10-year-old ballerina began to be prepared for release from prison

Briton Paul Smith, who was 17 at the time of the crime, strangled 10-year-old Rosie May Storrie at a party in Leicestershire on December 28, 2003. Smith was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 14 years in October 2004. However, he is now being prepared for his full release from prison as part of a “staged progression”.

December 28, 2003 was a dark day for the family of 10-year-old Rosie Mae Storrie. At a holiday party, the little ballerina was strangled in cold blood by 17-year-old trainee electrician Paul Smith. The girl’s parents were on the first floor of the house at the time Smith committed the crime and had no idea what was happening to their daughter.

The girl was found on her bed half naked and already unconscious. She died two days later in the hospital.

Smith was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 14 years in October 2004. The killer received the right to parole in 2018. The Parole Board recently announced it had recommended that Smith, now 38, be moved to an open setting as part of a “stepwise progression” that could eventually lead to his release on licence.

The summary of the decision said Smith was recommended to be transferred to an open prison in November 2019, but the Secretary of State rejected the offer.

It is also added that Smith’s behavior in prison caused some concern, and in February 2014 he was transferred to a maximum security psychiatric hospital. It was there that he allegedly benefited from therapeutic interventions aimed at anger management, decision-making and improved thinking.

Moreover, the convict received a warning in 2015 for attacking another prisoner.

In September 2018, he was returned to a closed prison, “but he did not have access to additional educational programs.”

The decision also states: “The panel heard how well Smith demonstrated the application of relevant skills and knowledge while in custody. The prison psychiatrist advised that there was no need for psychiatric treatment in a locked environment, but suggested that Smith attend a sex offender program.”

Independent psychiatrist and psychologist witnesses recommended Smith’s release, but his probation officer, a prison psychologist and the official overseeing Smith’s prison case supported only a move to open conditions.

They felt this was necessary “to allow for step-by-step progress with the necessary support and supervision.” All witnesses emphasized the need to manage any transition very carefully.

The summary goes on to say: “In this case, a protective factor that might reduce the risk of re-offending was considered to be the support that Paul Smith could expect from family members in the community.”

The Commission reviewed Smith’s release plan as submitted by the probation officer, including the requirement to reside in a designated location, as well as very strict conditions and restrictions on his contacts, movements and activities.

But they concluded the proposals were not compelling enough and that Smith should not be released on licence.

The report states: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and other evidence presented at the hearing in January, the panel was not satisfied that release would be safe at this stage. However, when considering the criteria for recommending open placement, the panel recommended that Smith move forward with this issue. The Secretary of State must now decide whether he will accept the Parole Board’s recommendation.”

Secretary of State Alan Chalk has 28 days to reject the Parole Board’s recommendation that Smith be transferred from closed to open conditions.

Smith, who has Asperger’s syndrome, has pleaded not guilty to strangling Rosie May at a party. But a jury of six men and six women at Nottingham Crown Court found him guilty of murdering the teenager, who had just auditioned for the English National Opera.

Rosie May was last seen alive just after 9pm on December 28th, being chased down a hallway by Smith after she stole a can of beer from him. Her father, Graham Storrie, 45, told the court how later that evening he desperately tried to wake his daughter after finding her unconscious in the bedroom.

His wife Mary, a registered nurse, attempted to perform emergency resuscitation on her daughter using mouth-to-mouth breathing. However, Rosie never regained consciousness and died in intensive care.

A post-mortem examination found she had suffocated after being forced to lie down in her bedclothes where she could not breathe, the jury was told. No forensic examination was carried out to determine whether the girl was subjected to any sexual interference.

During the trial it emerged that Paul Smith had previously committed at least two attacks on young girls. One victim was 16 years old, the second was 12 years old.