A LIFE prisoner threatened to cut off a woman's head and film the attack after becoming frustrated over lack of progress on his parole.

Convicted arsonist David Morgan of HMP Long Lartin, South Littleton, near Evesham, admitted making a threat to kill against a woman on May 27 last year when he appeared before a district judge at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday.

The 40-year-old, who has already served 19 years of a life sentence for arson, wrote the letter to Treasury Solicitors in London over his parole progress although the letter was intercepted by prison security before it could be read by the woman.

Fred Pilkington, prosecuting, said: "He said he does not care if his case is closed as 'you are going to get it' and he was going to send 'someone to your office to kill you'." He also refers to the woman in the letter as a 'dead man walking'. He added: "He said 'I'm going to make sure you have a painful death and make sure your family see it as I'm going to film it and put it on Facebook. You are going to have your head cut off'. I think the reference is to the beheading of Lee Rigby." As a result the Treasury department tightened their security and took the woman off the case.

The category B prisoner was sentenced to life in 1995 for arson and received three concurrent 12 month sentences for threats to kill.

Kate Oliver, defending, said Morgan had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity after police attended the prison to interview him on November 28 last year. Miss Oliver said there had been no repeat of the behaviour since. "At the time of the offence he was at a low period. There have been considerable issues in relation to his parole."

She also said there had been a lack of job opportunities in the prison, possibly linked to his disability. She said 'there was an extreme amount of frustration' because of lack of progress with his parole. She also said he had followed appropriate procedure, lodging complaints with Long Lartin and writing to the Ombudsman and Treasury Solicitors.

She said: "As a result there were numerous self-harm attempts through that period, including hospitalisation up to three times a week from self-harm and overdose attempts. He accepts sending that letter in that low period. This was a letter stopped by HMP Long Lartin before it reached Treasury Solicitors. It was a letter rather than a face-to-face threat." He has since been offered an oral hearing to discuss his parole and was given credit for his improved behaviour. Miss Oliver said there had been grave concerns, including from his offender manager, about the lack of progress. A parole hearing is now scheduled to take place in February next year. He is also now receiving counselling for what Miss Oliver described as 'entrenched issues in childhood'.

District judge Nigel Cadbury said he could only impose a concurrent (as opposed to consecutive) prison sentence. Mr Cadbury said would be inappropriate for him to deal with the case and remanded Morgan in custody until he is sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on November 14.

A spokesperson for Treasury Solicitors' said: “In cases such as this the Treasury Solicitors’ has a duty of care to all employees and would offer the appropriate support that is required. It is inappropriate to comment on the particular circumstances of this case.”