The Ministry of Justice has issued an apology following an administrative error that led a domestic abuse victim to believe her ex-partner, Martin Underwood, would be released early from prison.

Underwood, aged forty-nine, attacked Elizabeth Hudson at their Barnsley home in April 2021 and later assaulted a second victim while on police bail.

In February 2023, Underwood was sentenced to six years and three months after admitting to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and making threats to kill Ms Hudson, as well as admitting to non-fatal suffocation of a second victim committed while on bail.

Underwood was not eligible for the early release scheme, which allowed some offenders to be released after completing forty percent of their sentence in an effort to alleviate prison overcrowding.

The scheme, which saw approximately one thousand seven hundred offenders released, excludes individuals convicted of offences related to terrorism, national security, or domestic abuse, including stalking or non-fatal strangulation.

A court warrant missing key details led the Ministry of Justice to inform Ms Hudson that Underwood could be released in June 2025. An MoJ spokesperson confirmed, "He will remain behind bars until his standard release date.

We would like to apologise to Elizabeth Hudson for this error."

Ms Hudson stated that she had received a letter in September suggesting Underwood’s early release and that repeated assurances were given despite her understanding of the situation.

She noted that the error became clear only after reviewing the judge's sentencing remarks.

The Ministry of Justice has acknowledged the issue and indicated that it is focusing on long-term reforms following the incident, after being alerted to the error by Ms Hudson.