Lily’s killer gives birth behind bars

Reporter: RICHARD HOOTON
Date online: 26/05/2009

A MURDERER serving life for killing a frail Failsworth pensioner has given birth after a relationship with a prisoner at another jail.

Lisa Healey, now 26, was only 15 when she was convicted in 1999 of beating and gagging Lily Lilley before bundling her body into a wheelie bin and dumping it in the Rochdale Canal.

She has given birth to a girl after reportedly becoming pregnant at a hotel while on day release and is understood to now be back behind bars at the mother and baby unit at Askham Grange prison in York.

The father is Michael Dent, who was at Moorlands open prison in Doncaster serving time for drugs offences when he met Healey at Askham in February, last year.

He was acting as a “prison representative” at a forum about re-offending and, along with other inmates, was providing catering to civil servants, business leaders and charities.

Healey is reported to have continued seeing him during weekend liaisons.

Dent was allowed to spend the night away from prison, while Healey was entitled to spend the day with him but had to return at night.

Dent was allowed to have his own car at prison and would drive to her jail to collect her and then return her back. He has claimed their daughter was conceived in the two-star Ibis Hotel in York where they regularly checked-in during their days together.

Their relationship is now over.

Healey has served 10 years of her life sentence and was allowed out on day release last year because she was deemed to be of low-risk.

Prisoners let out on day release are usually subject to stringent conditions but are not normally barred from meeting partners.

Dent was released in September and Healey is due to be released next month, although she can be recalled to prison if she misbehaves.

Healey was convicted with fellow schoolgirl Sara Davey, then 14, after 71-year-old Mrs Lilley’s body was found in September, 1998.

Tory MP David Davis has called the pregnancy a disgrace, saying Healey should not have been allowed out on jaunts.