Damilola Taylor’s Killer Back On The Street

The killer of schoolboy Damilola Taylor now enjoys his freedom — wandering the streets on his first full day of early release.

Ricky Preddie, 24, was seen chatting to strangers, laughing to himself and even walked down dead-end streets.

The former gang member left HMP Pentonville in North London after serving five years of an eight- year manslaughter stretch over the killing of Damilola, ten.

The lad was found bleeding to death from a stab wound in Peckham, South East London, in 2000.

Preddie’s brother Danny, 23, was also given eight years in 2006 for Damilola’s killing. He got out last year.

Preddie, who has never shown any remorse, was driven by probation officers to a secret bail hostel in South London on Wednesday. Yesterday at 8.30am, he left to go on a three-hour tour of his new area.

Dressed in a smart dark grey suit and open-neck shirt, he looked as if he was going for a job interview. But a beanie hat hid his missing left ear, hacked off in a jail fight, and served as a reminder of his violent past.

Preddie appeared lost as he wandered down three cul-de-sacs. He then hopped on a train and later approached people to ask directions. One woman, in her 30s, looked nervous as he talked. An onlooker said: “It was as if he was testing if anyone recognised him. His behaviour was odd.”

Preddie then stood on a street corner and started talking and laughing to himself.

He went to a phone box. When he realised he had no change, he started shouting at people queueing at a bus stop. But his words were incomprehensible. He later returned to his hostel.

Preddie was first freed on licence in September 2010, half way into his sentence. But he was back inside six months later for breaching his parole by seeing old gang members in Peckham.

Preddie was offered a second chance for early release last October. But it was refused when he beat up a fellow lag.

On Wednesday, Damilola’s dad Richard Taylor, 63, said: “If I had my way the two brothers would have been hung for what they did.”