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Chapman shot Lennon five times in 1981, killing him on a New York street. PA Archive/Press Association Images
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The man who shot John Lennon has been refused parole for the eighth time

Now 59, Mark David Chapman has been in jail for 33 years.

THE MAN WHO shot Beatles star John Lennon dead was denied parole for an eighth time after being deemed likely to violate the law again, prison authorities concluded.

Mark David Chapman was sentenced to between 20 years and life in prison in 1981 for shooting Lennon five times on 8 December 1980.

The legendary singer-songwriter had been walking with his wife, Yoko Ono, to their Central Park apartment building in New York when he was killed.

The New York State Board of Parole told Chapman it had “determined that if released at this time, there is a reasonable probability that you would not live and remain at liberty without again violating the law,” according to a statement released by state prison authorities.

It added that his 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.”

Chapman, 59, was interviewed via video-conference by the the parole board on Wednesday from the Wende Correctional Facility where he is held.

He first became eligible for parole in 2000, and has applied unsuccessfully for release every two years since then.

He is eligible for another parole review in August 2016.

Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono has repeatedly demanded that Chapman not be released from jail.

© – AFP 2014

Read: “The fans were pelting us with jellybeans”: Here’s what happened when The Beatles stormed Washington >

Read: Get Back: 10 ways to live The Beatles Dublin experience this weekend >

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