A jilted lover who beat a disabled man to death in a jealous rage could ask to be freed as soon as next year, after his minimum sentence was cut by three years.

Derek Passmore, 42, formerly from Robin Hood Way, Kingston, beat to death Paul Craig, who was crippled with arthritis, in October 1996.

At his sentencing in 1997 he was told he would spend at least 14 years behind bars but, at a review at the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday, a judge decided to reduce the minimum time to 11 years.

Passmore is therefore free to apply for release in April next year, but will not be paroled unless he can convince authorities he no longer poses a risk to the public.

If released he would remain on life licence, meaning he could be recalled to jail should he put another foot wrong.

Speaking at the hearing, Mr Justice McKinnon said: "There were no aggravating features. The mitigating features are that there was an intention to cause serious bodily harm, rather than to kill, and a lack of premeditation."

Passmore smashed the skull of Mr Craig in Hampton, after "erroneously" deciding Mr Craig was seeing his estranged girlfriend.