A VIOLENT sex offender's risk was not formally assessed until two days after a parole board agreed to his release.

Jackie Owens, a senior probation officer, made the shocking admission at the inquest of Naomi Bryant, who was murdered by Anthony Rice in 2005.

She revealed she had started Rice's assessment in June 2004 but had failed to finish it before his parole hearing two months later.

Rice, 48, was released on licence to Elderfield House near Winchester in November 2004. Just months later he stabbed Weeke mother Ms Bryant 15 times before strangling her to death.

Alison Hewitt, representing central Hampshire coroner Grahame Short, said: "What was the point in carrying out a risk assessment when a decision had already been made [to release Rice]?"

Ms Owens said Rice had been assessed by probation officers but not under the formal structures that had only recently been introduced in 2004.

Pushed on whether the formal risk assessment should have been completed in time, she said: "I think good practice would say it should have been done, yes."

Yesterday's (Wednesday) inquest at Winchester Crown Court had heard that Rice had been allowed to move to Elderfield House despite concerns from Hampshire Police. Officers had e-mailed Ms Owens over worries that Rice would be accommodated near Otterbourne Primary School.

In reply Ms Owens dismissed an officer's concerns but wrongly stated that none of Rice's previous convictions had involved children.

She told the inquest: "I did not know he had any convictions against children."

Rice had been referred to Elderfield House after police in West Yorkshire objected to him being housed at Box Tree Cottage in Bradford, another Langley House Trust (LHT) run hostel. Jurors heard the Otterbourne hostel was less secure - unlike its Yorkshire counterpart it did not have CCTV or round-the-clock security.

Karim Ghaly, for LHT, attacked Ms Owens for failing to ensure Elderfield House had all documents relating to Rice's risk.

He asked: "Surely it's your responsibility to send everything to Elderfield House that is relevant?"

Ms Owens, of the London Probation Service, said it was her understanding that all relevant material had been passed to Elderfield House by bosses at Box Tree Cottage.