The father of a two-year-old child who was murdered in Birmingham 31 years ago says he will frame the letter which confirms the death of her killer in prison.
Robert Astley was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years in 1983 after admitting to the murder of Denise Bradbury.
Astley, who was 23 at the time, was sent to a maximum security jail and was denied parole in May 2022 after spending 38 years locked up, having been handed extra jail time for a brutal attack on a fellow inmate eight years ago.
In a letter sent to Denise’s father on January 3, a Victim Liaison Officer confirmed Astley had died behind bars at HMP Norwich on December 27 at the age of 64.
Dad Dennis Bradbury said of the letter: ‘I’ll probably frame it and hang it up. It might sound crude but that’s how I feel – I want everyone to know the b****** is gone.’
Dad Dennis Bradbury said of the letter: ‘I’ll probably frame it and hang it up. It might sound crude but that’s how I feel ‘
Robert Astley (left) was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years in 1983 after admitting to the murder of Denise Bradbury (right)
Dennis, who now lives in Sutton Coldfield and is 68, had gone to the pub with friends the night Astley snatched baby Denise from his home
Dennis, who now lives in Sutton Coldfield and is 68, had gone to the pub with friends the night Astley snatched baby Denise from his home.
He had left his children with a babysitter, but when they had gone home, Astley snuck into their Clapton Grove home and took the baby.
Little Denise was abducted from her Kingstanding home before she was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered. Her battered body was found in the back of a car in Sparkhill two days later.
Astley was sentenced to life imprisonment after confessing to murdering the toddler at Birmingham Crown Court in October 1983.
He was sent to Full Sutton prison that houses some of the country’s most notorious killers.
His cause of death was not known and will be investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
The Ministry of Justice told Dennis in the letter: ‘I am writing to confirm I have recently been informed that RA has died while in custody.’
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice said: ‘Prisoner Robert Astley died on 27 December at HMP Norwich. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.’
Dennis, who is now a grandfather-of-ten and raised his children alone after his wife died in a car crash, said: ‘From what I heard he was suffering with his health. I was told his family were asked if they wanted to visit him before he died, but they didn’t want to know. They knew he did it.’
Astley was sentenced to a further two years in prison in 2016 after attacking another inmate with scalding hot water. He admitted the assault at Hull Crown Court.
He had previously refused to engage with parole services because he believed ‘those who have committed murder cannot be healed’.