A sexual sadist and paedophile who raped a psychiatric patient and slit her throat with a broken glass bottle has been released from jail, despite pleas from doctors he is at high risk of re-offending.
Mark Richard Lawrence, 59, was allowed to walk free from Brisbane Correctional Centre after a court ruled Queensland s Attorney-General failed to prove he was likely to breach a current supervision order.
He was originally locked up in 1983 for the Boxing Day rape and murder of Julie Anne Muirhead, 29, and was sentenced to 15 years.
Mark Richard Lawrence, 59, was originally locked up for the Boxing Day rape and murder of Julie Anne Muirhead, 29, (pictured)
A sadistic killer behind a Boxing Day rape and murder is back behind bars seven months after he was controversially released.
Mark Richard Lawrence, 59, was let out on parole from Brisbane Correctional Centre in May after 36 years.
He was jailed in 1983 for strangling Julie Anne Muirhead, 29, and slashing her throat and kept locked up indefinitely under dangerous prisoner laws since 2008.
After a dozen attempts, the Queensland Supreme Court ordered his release in April and state Attorney-General Yvette D Ath declined to appeal.
But not even a year from his release, Lawrence was arrested by police on a warrant to protect the community from dangerous sex offenders and sent back to jail.
Mark Richard Lawrence and victim Julie Ann Muirhead
Crime by Vanda Carson
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Subscriber only A psychopathic sexual sadist and killer living in the community after serving more than 36 years behind bars for a string of violent crimes, has been arrested by police on a warrant aimed at protecting citizens from dangerous sex offenders. Mark Richard Lawrence, 59, appeared via video link from the watch-house in the Supreme Court late yesterday before Justice Peter Davis, just hours after he had his first appearance in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on a return to custody warrant issued last Thursday under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act.
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