Family of Gemma Simpson fight killer's bid for open prison
Gemma Simpson's family speak to Lisa Adlam
The family of a woman who was killed and dismembered by a taxi driver have pleaded with the Parole Board not to move him to an open prison.
Martin Bell killed 23-year-old Gemma Simpson at his flat in Harrogate in 2000 - six weeks after he was released from a psychiatric unit.
He then dismembered her body and buried her remains at Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire, where she lay undiscovered for more than a decade.
Bell eventually admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was jailed for a minimum of 12 years.
But on Tuesday, a parole hearing will be held to decide whether the 55-year-old can be moved to a category D open prison, where inmates face minimal security and can leave the prison for work and education.
Miss Simpson's sisters Naomi Carrack and Krista Simpson believe Bell is still dangerous.
Naomi said: "We just find it really frightening to think that somebody capable of the savagery which he is capable of, will be allowed to live in an open prison."
Krista added: "He was under psychiatric care at the time he killed her. They were meant to be monitoring him and we know that a team had visited him the day after he killed her while her body was still in his flat.
"We want justice for Gemma. We don't want her name to be forgotten and we don't want other families to suffer through this. Other families could go through this and that would be a total injustice to Gemma."
Bell killed Miss Simpson in a "frenzied" knife and hammer attack in May 2000.
He then left her body in a bath for several days before burying her.
It was not until 2014 that he handed himself in to police.
He claimed God had told him to attack her and was later diagnosed with a psychotic illness similar to schizophrenia.
Krista Simpson told ITV News: "Fourteen years we tried to live in hope and always thought she was going to come home."
Naomi Carrack added: "Perhaps in some ways it was a blessing not knowing because the truth was so horrible. It's like your worst nightmares. It's so gruesome how she died and what he did to her."
The family will deliver a victim statement to the Parole Board as Bell argues for greater freedomsa.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: "A Parole Board panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
"Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.