Killer Kevan Thakrar claims prison human rights breach

A "cold-blooded" killer may sue the Prison Service over an alleged breach of his human rights.

Kevan Thakrar, 24, currently serving three life sentences at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, is taking legal action over "illegal policies" in prisons.

Thakrar was jailed in 2007 for the murders of three drug dealers in Herts.

High Court judge Mr Justice Cooke, sitting at Manchester, heard he was unhappy with policies involving his private telephone use.

The policies also affect his privileged correspondence with lawyers and prison visits with his legal team, the court heard.

Flo Krause, representing Thakrar, told the Civil Courts of Justice in Manchester that her client had also complained about "excessive searches" while in jail.

Thakrar, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, must serve a minimum of 35 years before parole can be considered.

He was jailed along with his brother Miran for the gangland-style execution of Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and Tony Dulieu, 33, from Essex.

Miran Thakrar shot the family dog and then lined up Keith Cowell, Matthew Cowell and Mr Dulieu, and shot them dead as his brother Kevan looked on.

The Thakrars were also found guilty of the attempted murders of Christine Jennings, 54, and Matthew Cowell's girlfriend Clare Evans, 23, at the Cowell house in Bishop's Stortford.

The case was described by trial judge Mr Justice Cooke as a "cold-blooded multiple murder carried out in a savage way".

It is understood Thakrar will claim that under the European Convention on Human Rights, his rights under Article 6, rights to a fair trial, and Article 8, right to respect for one's private and family life, are both being broken.

If Thakrar wins his case, he will be able to sue the authorities for damages.

Last November, Thakrar was cleared of two counts of attempted murder and three counts of wounding with intent after an incident at Frankland Prison in County Durham.

He admitted lashing out with a broken bottle and injuring three prison guards but the jury agreed he acted in self-defence in a "pre-emptive strike" after suffering years of alleged racist bullying.

A two-day trial to hear Thakrar's human rights case is set to start on 11 October.