Deceased/Not Found UK - Helen McCourt, 22, Billinge, Merseyside, 9 Feb 1988 *I. Simms guilty*

[Al Ka]

A grieving mum campaigning for killers to stay behind bars until they reveal the location of their victims’ bodies will hand a 300,000-strong petition to David Cameron on Thursday (today!).

Marie McCourt, 72, is calling on the PM to change the law so that killers who refuse to say where their victims are should be denied parole.

Mrs McCourt wants the new rules to be called Helen’s Law in memory of her daughter Helen, 22, who was killed in 1988 by pub landlord Ian Simms.

Her body has never been found.

http://www.newslocker.com/en-uk/reg...eir-victims-bodies-are-to-david-cameron/view/



For almost three decades Simms has refused to reveal the whereabouts of Helen’s body. He is eligible for parole in January 2016. If parole is granted, my hopes of finding my daughter may never be realised. No other family should live this ordeal.

I, hereby, petition the Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May to acknowledge the pain and distress caused to the families of missing murder victims by:

• Denying parole to murderers for as long as they refuse to disclose the whereabouts of their victim’s remains
• Passing a full life tariff (denying parole or release) until the murderer discloses the location (and enables the recovery) of their victim’s remains
• Automatically applying the following rarely-used common law offences in murder trials without a body*; preventing the burial of a corpse and conspiracy to prevent the burial of a corpse, disposing of a corpse, obstructing a coroner (*as in the case of R v Hunter, 1974 (from Archbold, Criminal Pleading Evidence and Practice 2015)

https://www.change.org/p/david-came...erm=mob-xs-action_alert-no_msg&fb_ref=Default

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I absolutely agree with this 100%!

 

[pinklilies]

Me too! Hope this mum is successful and paves the way for many others.

 

[Elainera]

Update (under the petition):

Devastating news re #HelensLaw

3 Feb 2016 — Today, the Parole Board announced a recommendation that my daughter’s killer, Ian Simms, be moved to open conditions within 28 days.

The announcement has left me devastated – but even more determined that Helen’s Law must succeed to save other families from being put through this torture.

I will be presenting my petition for Helen’s Law to Downing Street tomorrow at 2pm. If you would like to come to the gates to show your support as I complete the handover, please do so.

I have been humbled, touched and overwhelmed at the number of people who have taken the trouble to sign my petition and send messages of support and comfort. We are more grateful than you will ever know.

Please share this update. If you know anyone else who would like to support me, and would like their signature to count, please could they sign before 1pm tomorrow.

I promise to keep you updated.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Marie McCourt

 

[dalsglen]

I wish her the best of luck, in a country with such lenient sentences, this is a fab idea. Signed and shared

 

[pinklilies]

Signed. Cannot share as don't have SM. Best wishes to Mrs McCourt and all other persons affected by this.

 

[Elainera]

Marie McCourt takes her petition to number 10 Downing Street

Conor McGinn, MP for St Helens North, today accompanied Marie McCourt and her family to a meeting with the Victims Minister and then to Downing Street, where he helped deliver a petition to the Prime Minister calling on him to introduce Helen's Law, which has been signed by over 320,000 people.

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/201...kes-her-petition-to-number-10-downing-street/

http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/mp-government-must-consider-helen-s-law-1-7716597

 

[MelmothTheLost]

While I agree with this petition in principle, and have signed it, I do foresee problems with the proposed measures in practice.

There is nothing, for instance, to stop a criminal claiming the body was disposed of in a way that cannot be tested or provide comfort to the victim's family. For example in a landfill site (digging up 10+ years of rubbish is not practical or indeed really possible), or dumped in a large river or out at sea, or destroyed in a furnace.

Nor is there anything to prevent the criminal claiming to have buried the body in a specific location, such as a forest or area of moorland, and then blaming the police for not being able to find it (even if the body was never there in the first place).

 

[aneurin]

While I agree with this petition in principle, and have signed it, I do foresee problems with the proposed measures in practice.

There is nothing, for instance, to stop a criminal claiming the body was disposed of in a way that cannot be tested or provide comfort to the victim's family. For example in a landfill site (digging up 10+ years of rubbish is not practical or indeed really possible), or dumped in a large river or out at sea, or destroyed in a furnace.

Nor is there anything to prevent the criminal claiming to have buried the body in a specific location, such as a forest or area of moorland, and then blaming the police for not being able to find it (even if the body was never there in the first place).

That's what occurred to me.

Put it this way; Simms was sentenced to life and sixteen in 1989. If Simms had admitted his guilt and said that he did indeed dump the body in the Manchester Ship Canal, he'd have been out in 2005. But as it is, he has always maintained his innocence, and thus obviously can't say where the body is. So he's already had his sentence extended by eleven years, or about 70%, by being stubborn about it.

I wish her the best of luck, in a country with such lenient sentences, this is a fab idea. Signed and shared

Compared to where exactly? That chap Zalkalns got eight years for murder in Latvia, where the maximum seems to be fifteen. I know that the maximum sentence for murder in Norway is 21 years, because that's what Breivik got for killing 77 people. Life and 16 seems rather a stiff sentence in that sort of company, particularly when you end up actually serving 27 years.

 

[rats]

https://www.itv.com/news/granada/update/2018-02-09/memorial-service-for-murder-victim-30-years-on/

Friends and loved ones of a young murder victim from Merseyside will come together to celebrate her life today, 30 years after she vanished.Helen McCourt, 22, disappeared in February 1988. Pub landlord Ian Simms was convicted of her murder but refused to reveal what he hid her remains. Helen's body has never been found.
A memorial service will be held in her home town of Billinge.

https://www.wigantoday.net/news/crime/a-mother-s-30-year-fight-for-closure-1-9008549 They are doing a lot of 30 year anniversary articles.

 

[iulia]

New offers of help in quest to find tragic murder victim Helen McCourt after TV show

Judge Rinder’s Crime Stories this week dedicated an entire hour-long programme to the notorious case which saw Billinge pub landlord Ian Simms jailed for the 22-year-old insurance clerk’s killing even though her body had not been discovered.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

Murderers who refuse to say where bodies are hidden denied parole under new law

"“Helen’s Law will mean the Parole Board must consider this cruelty when reviewing an offender’s suitability for release, which could see them facing longer behind bars.

“The profound grief inflicted on families and friends of the murdered is incalculable. Those responsible should know that if they choose to compound this further they will be held accountable.”

Marie’s MP Conor McGinn, who has battled to bring the law forward, hailed Mr Gauke’s announcement as “good day for British justice”.

He said: “This is a hugely welcome and important step forward for the McCourts and other families. Nothing can undo their hurt and pain, but the least they deserve is justice."

(...)

Our campaign for Helen’s Law collected 600,000 signatures after it was launched. MPs voted in favour of it in 2016 but it had yet to receive government backing - until today.

It will have to pass through the Commons and Lords before it is enshrined in law. It is not known how long this will take."

 

[Elainera]

Excellent! Marie must be so relieved.
And she should be proud of herself too.

 

[Legally Bland]

A woman whose daughter was murdered three decades ago has said she is running out of time to find out where the body is.

Marie McCourt, whose daughter Helen was killed in 1988, has successfully fought for a new law to prevent killers being freed if they do not reveal the location of their victims' bodies.

But her daughter's killer may be released before the law goes through.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland QC said he had "immense sympathy".

Unaccompanied day trips
The bill to enact "Helen's Law" was presented to the House of Commons on Tuesday, after being included in Monday's Queen's Speech.

It will place a legal duty on parole boards to consider the cruelty of killers who refuse to give the location of a victim's remains when assessing their release.

It will also apply to paedophiles who take indecent images of children but refuse to disclose their identity, "and could therefore see them locked away for longer", the Ministry of Justice has said.

It is expected to become law in spring 2020.

Mum 'running out of time' to find daughter's body

 

[Legally Bland]

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".

Parole for killer who kept body location secret

 

[jaejae]

Here is a Sky News report about the developments in this case:

Helen McCourt: Killer Ian Simms who never revealed where victim was buried set to be released

A report from the Daily Mail:

Helen McCourt's killer WILL be released from prison | Daily Mail Online

A report from the Daily Mirror:

Helen McCourt's killer released from jail despite never revealing where body is

 

[Elainera]

My heart goes out to Marie McCourt. She fought so hard for so long only for him to slip away now just months before Helen's Law becomes official. Cruel.

 

[jaejae]

Here is another report about this case:

Helen McCourt: Release of killer Ian Simms to be reviewed

 

[jaejae]

Here is another report about this case:

Helen McCourt: Release of killer Ian Simms to be reviewed

I watched a documentary on this case recently and I think when we watch these we make on judgements on the evidence in the case and my conclusion was this offender was guilty and if someone killed a loved one of mine I would want them to remain in prison if they robbed an innocent person of their life. I just want to make a general point though in relation to this case. Miscarriages of justice do happen and the wrong people are accused of crimes. My point is if you did not commit a crime how can you tell the Police where a body is if you do not known and then do you still remain in jail for ever.

 

[jaejae]

Here is another report about this case:

Helen McCourt: Release of killer Ian Simms to be reviewed

Here is a Sky News report:

Helen McCourt murder: Decision to release killer Ian Simms to be reviewed by Parole Board