A man who was sentenced to three years in prison for a vicious meat cleaver assault remains incarcerated 15 years later.

Andrew Whittle, aged 48, received an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) in 2011 for attacking a Good Samaritan. The judge at Bolton Crown Court imposed the IPP term of three years and four months, but Whittle has not been released after serving that period.

IPP was utilized from 2005 to 2012 for dangerous offenders not eligible for life imprisonment, leading to extended incarceration periods. Whittle, currently held at HMP Fosse Way, was found with multiple mobile phones, including an iPhone and a Samsung device, while at HMP Dartmoor in 2024.

During a court hearing at Plymouth Crown Court, it was disclosed that Whittle made numerous calls using the phones but not for illegal purposes. Despite having 22 convictions for 91 offenses, including charges related to the phones, Whittle admitted to the infractions.

The judge, Robert Linford, acknowledged Whittle’s lengthy incarceration under the IPP sentence and imposed an additional 18-month jail term for the phone offenses. Whittle was also instructed to pay a victim surcharge of £187.

In a previous incident in 2011, Whittle, then 32, assaulted a woman who had offered him a ride, causing significant head injuries requiring 20 stitches. Whittle, from Bolton, confessed to the crimes and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison as part of the IPP ruling at Bolton Crown Court.

HMP Dartmoor ceased holding prisoners in 2024 due to safety concerns, leaving the facility unused. The HM Prison and Probation Service continues to spend £4 million annually on maintenance, with no plans to reopen the prison until the lease expires in 2033, resulting in an estimated total cost of £32 million.