For decades, the specter of British fugitives evading justice has haunted law enforcement agencies across Europe and beyond. The stories of Kevin Parle and Jack Benjamin Hulme—two men wanted in connection with violent crimes—have become emblematic of the challenges authorities face in tracking down suspects who disappear across borders. Their cases, though separated by nearly twenty years and different circumstances, offer a sobering look at the complexities of international manhunts and the resilience of families and victims left in their wake.
Kevin Parle, now 45, has been on the run for two decades, his name etched into the annals of Britain’s most wanted. According to BBC reporting, Parle, also known by the nicknames 'Hemp' and 'Joseph,' is suspected of involvement in two chilling murders in Liverpool: the 2004 shooting of 16-year-old Liam Kelly and the 2005 execution-style killing of 22-year-old mother Lucy Hargreaves. Both crimes, carried out with sawn-off shotguns at close range, shocked local communities and left families shattered.
The details of the attacks are harrowing. On June 19, 2004, Liam Kelly was ambushed after a dispute over a £200 drug debt. Two men approached him on Grafton Street, and as he tried to flee, he was shot in the chest and arm. Parle was arrested by Merseyside Police as a suspect but was released on bail—a decision that would haunt investigators for years to come. He never returned to answer his bail and promptly vanished, reportedly traveling overseas. BBC sources have linked him to Spain, Australia, and Dubai, but no credible leads have surfaced despite a barrage of media campaigns, including a mobile billboard driven around Spain and a reward of £10,000 from the charity Crimestoppers.
The following year, on August 3, 2005, Lucy Hargreaves was asleep on her couch in her Walton, Liverpool home when three men burst through the door. In mere seconds, she was shot three times. The assailants then doused the bottom of the stairs and doorway with petrol and set the house alight, ignoring the cries of her two-year-old daughter who was upstairs. Lucy’s partner, Gary Campbell, was in bed with their toddler at the time. Forced to climb out a window with his daughter, he left the child with a neighbor and returned in a desperate attempt to save Lucy. But it was too late—she had succumbed to her wounds.
During subsequent court proceedings, Parle was named as the alleged third man involved in the attack. Prosecutors suggested the real target may have been Gary Campbell, who, as a teenager, had been a passenger in a stolen car that accidentally killed the younger brother of notorious criminal Tony Downes. Downes and Kirk Bradley, both infamous for their roles in organized crime, were tried for Lucy’s murder but acquitted after a judge ruled there was no case to answer. Both men are now serving long sentences for unrelated crimes, including shootings and a grenade attack plot, but Parle’s whereabouts remain a mystery.
In the case of Liam Kelly’s murder, Anthony Campbell—unrelated to Gary—pleaded guilty to arranging the shooting, with Parle described as the gunman in court. The open identification of Parle in both trials underscores the authorities’ certainty about his involvement, but also their frustration at being unable to bring him to justice.
The passage of time has not dulled the urgency of the hunt. Crimestoppers’ North West regional manager, Gary Murray, made a direct appeal: “We know there are people who may know where Kevin Parle is. It’s time to do the right thing. Our guarantee of anonymity means you will never be identified by anyone, and your information could help bring justice and solace to those who have suffered for the last 20 years.” Despite these efforts, Parle’s trail has grown cold, and his case remains one of the most high-profile unsolved manhunts in the UK.
Fast forward to March 2023, and another British fugitive has entered the international spotlight—this time in the sunny, chaotic streets of Magaluf, Majorca. Jack Benjamin Hulme, 31, stands accused of a violent hit-and-run that left two young tourists injured. According to The Sun, Hulme was arrested after allegedly mounting the pavement outside a fast-food joint, plowing into a 20-year-old Polish woman and a 19-year-old British man. Chilling video footage captured the aftermath, showing the Polish woman lying unconscious, her shirt open, as bystanders rushed to her aid. Miraculously, both victims survived without serious injuries, though the psychological scars may linger far longer.
The incident, police say, was preceded by an argument between Hulme and another Brit after their partners reportedly clashed. In a fit of rage, Hulme allegedly stormed off, got into his hire car, and drove directly into the unsuspecting tourists—who, investigators stress, were “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Three others narrowly escaped by sprinting out of the car’s path. Hulme was apprehended after a manhunt led police to Son Matias beach, but the story did not end there. In court, Hulme reportedly claimed he had not meant to run anyone over, blaming his actions on poor vision caused by someone “spraying him in the eyes with an aerosol.”
Released on bail just 36 hours after his arrest, Hulme was ordered to register his contact details and notify court officials of any move. But when he failed to comply, a Spanish judge declared him in contempt and issued an international arrest warrant. He now faces five charges, including reckless driving and two counts of wounding, with prosecutors seeking a four-year prison sentence if convicted. The case has been suspended until Hulme is tracked down and extradited to face trial.
Spanish police confirmed the details, stating: “A British man who was on holiday in Majorca has been arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide following an early-hours hit-and-run incident in Magaluf. He was held at nearby Son Matias beach after a police search for him and his vehicle. The incident was preceded by some sort of argument that is still under investigation. One of the people hurt was a Polish woman and the other a British man. Both were also on holiday in the area.”
Hulme’s case is not the only violent incident involving British tourists in Magaluf in recent years. The Sun recalls the 2019 case of Max Barnes, who went missing after being bailed for a bottle attack and was later handed a suspended sentence after paying compensation. In 2018, Manchester’s Kemi Coaker was arrested for running over her ex’s new girlfriend, ultimately receiving a suspended jail term and a restraining order.
As these stories demonstrate, the pursuit of justice for victims is often a long and winding road. For the families of Lucy Hargreaves and Liam Kelly, and for the tourists injured in Magaluf, the wait for closure continues. Authorities, meanwhile, persist in their efforts—across borders, languages, and years—hoping that one day, the fugitives will be found and held to account for their actions.
Until then, the faces of Britain’s most wanted remain etched on billboards, in news reports, and in the memories of those seeking answers, a constant reminder that justice delayed is not always justice denied—but it is justice still unfinished.
