This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-50507180
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Helen McCourt: Killer Ian Simms set for parole | Helen McCourt: Killer Ian Simms set for parole |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A murderer who has refused to reveal the location of his victim's body is set to be paroled. | A murderer who has refused to reveal the location of his victim's body is set to be paroled. |
| Helen McCourt disappeared in February 1988 at the age of 22, on her way home from work in Liverpool. | |
| Simms was jailed for life in 1989 and told he would serve at least 16 years. | |
| Ms McCourt's mother, who earlier this month urged Simms to reveal where her daughter's remains are, said she was "in shock" and "horrified" by the decision. | |
| Simms, 63, had his case considered at a seventh parole hearing on 8 November and the Parole Board said the prisoner had "met the test for release". | |
| He was denied release at his previous hearing in 2016 but subsequently transferred to an open prison "due to progress made" where he has "followed the rules" when granted temporary release. | |
| The Parole Board said it "carefully considered" Simms' failure to disclose the location of Ms McCourt's body and concluded there is "no prospect of Simms ever disclosing the whereabouts of his victim even if he were kept in prison until he died." | |
| The board added the refusal continues to cause understandable distress and misery to the victim's family and the panel concluded this demonstrated a lack of empathy. | |
| But it said denial was not a "necessarily determining factor" and also considered evidence from two psychologists who recommended release. | |
| The Parole Board said: "Taking into account the denial, the refusal to reveal where the victim's body is, all the risk factors, the progress that Mr Simms has made, the considerable change in his behaviour, the fact that he has not been involved in any violence or substance misuse for many years, his protective factors, the recommendations from all the professionals and all the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was satisfied that Mr Simms met the test for release." | |
| Earlier this month Helen's mum Marie McCourt called on Simms to end the "torture" and reveal once and for all where he hid her body. | |
| She also urged the next government to introduce Helen's Law, which would have denied parole to killers who do not disclose their victims' remains. |