John Lennon's 'still dangerous' killer denied parole for fifth time
John Lennon's killer was denied parole for a fifth time last night.
Mark Chapman will remain in a U.S. prison for at least two more years after a parole board ruled that he remains a threat to the public.
Chapman, 53, has been in prison for 27 years since pleading guilty to gunning down the former Beatle on a New York sidewalk in 1980.
Mark David Chapman, left, pictured in 1975, shot John Lennon dead in 1980
He fired five shots outside Lennon's Manhattan apartment, hitting the 40-year-old singer four times in front of his wife, Yoko Ono.
The former maintenance man from Hawaii was given a maximum life sentence but became eligible for parole in 2000.
The parole board said that although Chapman has had a clean disciplinary record since 1994, his release 'would not be in the best interest of the community'.
A lawyer for Ono - who has previously written to the parole board arguing against Chapman's release but did not offer any testimony in his latest hearing - said yesterday: 'She was very pleased at the decision.'
Chapman, who is serving his time in New York's Attica Correctional Facility, is next due to appear before the board in August 2010.
