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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be bemused that an unreptentant woman killer can be rleased.

56 replies

paulinespeaksmanylanguages · 09/01/2020 00:11

Ian Simms who murdered Helen McCourt is about to be released.

There was an appeal to keep him in prison because he refuses to reveal where her body is but it failed.

Am I being unreasonable to think that a lot of publicity should be given to whoever signed off on this? Front page, not tucked away somewhere.

OP posts:
Retroflex · 09/01/2020 00:25

I don't believe that any murderer who has refused to disclose the location of his victims body should ever be released! Angry

It may prove to be an unpopular opinion, but to me, how can they say they've served their sentence and are "reformed" characters, when they are still torturing their victims loved ones? Angry

FoamingAtTheUterus · 09/01/2020 00:27

I don't think any murderer who's gone out and deliberately killed someone should ever have the luxury of freedom tbh.

Jog22 · 09/01/2020 00:29

Exactly. If he won't reveal her body's whereabouts then he still wants to be in control therefore not ready for release.

www.gofundme.com/f/justiceforhelenmccourt?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 09/01/2020 00:31

Flamed for this I may be, but Its a pity they didn't stick a red not poker up his
arse hole. He'd have soon said where this poor women's body was, at least then her mum and dad could have have her burial.

GiftedFish · 09/01/2020 00:34

As much as I don't think he should be released, but that's the reality.. I do think for everyday he doesn't tell them, he should be kept in. Until he's disclosed and its confirmed, let him continue with his sad existence.

YappityYapYap · 09/01/2020 00:36

The fact that he hasn't revealed where her body is suggests that he doesn't have any remorse, is hiding something else wherever he put her or he is still in a state of murderous control. Any of those three reasons makes him unfit for release. He is a threat to the public. We need to get used to this though. There's rapists getting 2 years and ridiculous things like that. The justice system is a joke. If you murder someone in the US for example, you're looking at death row in some states and 25 to life in others!

ohprettybaby · 09/01/2020 00:42

I don't believe anyone who murders (premeditated killing of another human) should ever be released from prison.

Tillygetsit · 09/01/2020 00:45

Disgusting to let him out. He hasn't reformed or shown remorse. He hasn't lessened the torture that the victims family is going through. Who the hell agreed to this?!

Bluerussian · 09/01/2020 02:35

I can't understand why he doesn't give up that information. I know he still denies having murdered the girl and DNA in 1988 was not the accurate scientific test that it is today but apparently her earrings and blood were found in his van.

Regarding his release, I agree it is a kick in the teeth for her family but imagine those who do decide on release have a list and he ticked every box. He wasn't a serial killer and is hardly likely to do anything like that again which is the most important consideration - it was a dreadful one off - so no, I don't think the name or names of the person or people who signed him out should be made public. There'd be no point in that. I also think his release should not have been widely reported nor recent photographs of him published. I certainly don't feel any better for knowing and it sounds as though many feel a lot worse.

There are conditions to the man's release and as long as he sticks to them, we'll probably hear no more of him (I hope).

Another possibility is that he was developing health problems which the prison service often find difficult to deal with.

Original poster
paulinespeaksmanylanguages · 09/01/2020 11:08

Yes, I thought remorse had to be shown before release. I am baffled by it all and think Spider's suggestion is a good one!

OP posts:
beautifulstranger101 · 09/01/2020 11:10

Flamed for this I may be, but Its a pity they didn't stick a red not poker up his arse hole

AGREE applauds

redbullgivesyouflings · 09/01/2020 11:10

I don't believe that any murderer who has refused to disclose the location of his victims body should ever be released!

I agree. IMO, this tells me that he thinks he's above everyone else and that he's not only not remorseful, but incredibly smug about what he'd done as well!

CoffeeConnoiseur · 09/01/2020 11:12

Tbh if I was a member of her family I'd find out where he is and make him disappear.

SkySmiler · 09/01/2020 11:17

I would too Coffee, after all, you only get a few years for murder and then released!

bringbacksideburns · 09/01/2020 11:18

It's beyond my comprehension that firstly you can murder someone and then eventually be released anyway.
And secondly that you never give her family the dignity of a burial - and STILL get your freedom.

Our justice system is a joke. Our Prisons are full of people doing drug related crimes so there's no room for murderers it seems and they get off lightly and eventually released.

PlanDeRaccordement · 09/01/2020 11:22

Maybe he doesn’t know where her body is? Maybe a friend disposed of the body for him and he doesn’t want to snitch on the friend as an accessory? Maybe he dumped the body in a river or the sea so it could be anywhere?

I think it’s a bit naive to think a murderer always knows where a body is.

AuntSelmaJane · 09/01/2020 11:38

I don't understand or approve of letting killers out if they're not helpful re: revealing the body location. He might be out and able to start getting on with his life but she'll never come back. Her loved ones have a real life sentence. It's abhorrent that we call killers like him "reformed" or have "paid their debt to society", it's blatantly not true.

I honestly don't understand why this evil man is walking out a free man.

PhilSwagielka · 09/01/2020 11:40

He shouldn't be allowed out. What if he kills again?

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 09/01/2020 11:43

I haven't heard anything about this case before, but going off what has been said here, he's not rehabilitated.

If he's not willing to spare her family further pain by disclosing what he did with his victim's body, he can't be remorseful.

Inappropriatefemale · 09/01/2020 11:48

That’s the British ^justice* system for you!

Inappropriatefemale · 09/01/2020 11:49

A bit naive to think a murderer always knows where a body is?!Confused WTF?!

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 09/01/2020 11:50

Okay, googled. He's not admitting what he did with her body, because he's insisting that he is innocent.

He definitely isn't.

chellochello · 09/01/2020 11:53

I totally agree he should not be released until he has disclosed the location of the body.

The only reason I can think of for him not giving this information is that if he does tell then other crimes (possibly other bodies) will be found in the same place and then he know he will be charged of additional crimes and have to spend more time in prison!

Olliephaunt4eyes · 09/01/2020 11:56

I don't believe that any murderer who has refused to disclose the location of his victims body should ever be released!

But wouldn't that mean that prisoners who are wrongly convicted would effectively be being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole? I know wrongly convicted killers already often spend longer in prison than the guilty because they don't have the information to produce the right kind of statement of remorse for parole boards.

Collidascope · 09/01/2020 11:59

This happened near me, and people still feel very strongly about it here. I hope he's looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. And just to add, when serial rapists like Worboys are set to be released after just a few years, it doesn't give you a huge amount of faith in the parole board's conclusion that "we don't think he poses a risk anymore." Imagine being a young woman and having this piece of shit moving in next door or across the road. I know I would feel less safe about going out alone.