A FORMER Miss Hitler beauty pageant contestant who was jailed for being a member of far-right terrorist group National Action has been granted a parole hearing.

Alice Cutter, originally from Bradford, was jailed for three years back in June 2020, but could be freed early following the hearing later this month.

Cutter, who was 23 at the time, was one of four neo-Nazi "diehards" convicted of being members of the banned group.

The group, labelled "racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic" by the then-home secretary Amber Rudd, was banned in December 2016 after a series of rallies and incidents, including praise of the murder of MP Jo Cox.

Cutter, 23, who entered the Miss Hitler beauty contest as Miss Buchenwald - a reference to the Second World War death camp - had denied ever being a member, despite attending the group's rallies, in which banners reading "Hitler was right" were raised.

Jurors were also shown messages in which the waitress joked about gassing synagogues, using a Jew's head as a football, and exclaiming "Rot in hell, bitch", after hearing of Ms Cox's murder.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: "We can confirm the parole review of Alice Cutter has been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is listed for a hearing in late March.

"Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.  

"A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.  

"Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing."

They added: "Evidence from witnesses including probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements are then given at the hearing.  

"The prisoner and witnesses are then questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more. Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority." 

Cutter was convicted alongside her Nazi-admiring former partner Mark Jones, alongside Garry Jack and Connor Scothern.

What could the outcome of the hearing be?

There are three different potential outcomes of a parole hearing:

Release - once the Parole Board has directed the release of a prisoner, it is up to the Ministry of Justice to make the arrangements.

Open Conditions - the Parole Board can recommend that a prisoner moves to an open prison, however it is for the Ministry of Justice to make the final decision.

Further Review - under current legislation, the prisoner will be eligible for a further review within two years. The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice.