The New York authorities have denied parole to Mark Chapman, the man who shot dead John Lennon in 1980, for the eighth time.

Mark David Chapman, now 59, was sentenced to 20 years to life in 1981 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

He shot John Lennon four times outside a Manhattan apartment block on December 8, 1980.

Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon four times outside a Manhattan apartment block on December 8, 1980

The parole board said the murder of the famous British musician and former member of The Beatles “devastated a family and those who loved the victim”.

“Your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society and would so deprecate the serious nature of the crime as to undermine respect for the law,” the board said.

Mark Chapman can reapply for parole in two years.

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