Helen McCourt’s mother ‘horrified’ after daughter’s killer gets parole despite never revealing location of her body

Decision comes after Helen’s Law failed to be ratified before parliament was dissolved ahead of general election

Helen McCourt disappeared in 1988 at the age of 22 (PA)

The mother of murder victim Helen McCourt is “horrified” by the decision to release her killer, despite him never revealing where he hid her body.

Ian Simms “met the test for release”, the parole board said, due to factors including the “considerable change in his behaviour”.

The decision came after Marie McCourt’s campaign to keep killers behind bars unless they lead police to their victim’s bodies, called Helen’s Law, failed to be ratified before parliament was dissolved ahead of the general election.​

“I’m just in a state of shock to be honest,” Ms McCourt said. “I got a call this morning and was told he was being released.

“I was just in shock. Well, I’m still trying to deal with it.”

She added: “I’m horrified by it, I’m horrified by it. This man is a danger, you know.

“I just wonder if some of these people who feel that they’re safe to be released... it’s OK for them, they are not going to live by them. But the people in the area, they will have to put up with that.”

The final decision on when Simms is released will be made by the Prison Service, although there will now be a three-week period during which either the justice secretary or even the killer himself can appeal.

The decision is subject to a series of conditions including to reside at a designated address, to be “of good behaviour” and to report for supervision appointments.

He will have to wear a tagging device to monitor his whereabouts, observe a curfew and avoid any contact with the family of his victim.​

Ms McCourt added: “If Helen’s Law had been on the statute books right now those judges would have to really make sure that their decision to release him ... would be safe.

“They would have to go into that, they would have to obey that law and it hasn’t happened it’s not on the statute book yet.”

Simms, a pub landlord who was convicted by a jury on overwhelming DNA evidence of Ms McCourt’s abduction and murder, has been serving his life sentence at HMP Garth in Leyland, Lancashire.

He has always maintained his innocence over the death of 22-year-old Ms McCourt, an insurance clerk who vanished on her way home from work in Liverpool in 1988.

He was convicted of her murder the following year, having been told he would serve a minimum of 16 years and one day.

He was eligible to be considered for release on 15 February 2004.

During a parole board hearing, Ms McCourt’s family called on Simms to end the “torture” and reveal once and for all where he hid her body.

Additional reporting by Press Association