John Lennon's Killer Apologises To Yoko Ono

Mark Chapman says he has "no excuse..."

Details of *Mark Chapman's* parole hearing has emerged.

Chapman murdered John Lennon in cold blood 40 years ago, shooting the Beatles icon dead on the steps of his own house.

Given a lengthy jail sentence, Mark Chapman became eligible for parole a decade ago, prompting an annual series of hearings.

Turned down for parole during a recent hearing, an account of the meeting has been released.

In it, Mark Chapman tells the judge that he has "no excuse" for what he terms the "despicable act" he committed.

The request for parole was turned down, with officials believing "it would be incompatible with the welfare of society".

Mark Chapman told the hearing: "I knew it was wrong and I did it for glory. One word, just glory. That’s it. It was that he was famous, extremely famous. That’s why he was at the top of the list."

He said: "I just want to reiterate that I'm sorry for my crime. I have no excuse. This was for self-glory."

"He was a family man. He was an icon. I assassinated him… because he was very, very, very famous and that's the only reason and I was very, very, very, very much seeking self-glory, very selfish."

The murderer also took the step of apologising to Yoko Ono, who witnessed the killing of her husband. He said: "I want to add that and emphasise that greatly. It was an extremely selfish act. I'm sorry for the pain that I caused to her [Ono]. I think about it all of the time."

Mark Chapman was denied parole. Yoko Ono has made no comment on the hearing.

John Lennon's music is still touching millions - new collection 'Gimme Some Truth' is out next month.

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