Helen's Law finally gets government backing

The mother of murdered Helen McCourt said she is "elated" laws are to finally change so killers are denied parole if they refuse to reveal where they hid their victim's body.

Marie McCourt has begged murderer Ian Simms to tell her the whereabouts of her daughter's remains ever since the insurance clerk vanished on her way home from work in 1988.

But the pub landlord, who was convicted by a jury on overwhelming DNA evidence of the 22-year-old's abduction and murder and is still in jail, has always maintained his innocence.

She campaigned relentlessly to keep Simms behind bars until he helped lead police to her daughter's body.

MPs voted in favour of the law in 2016 but it had yet to receive Government backing, until Justice Secretary David Gauke announced the move on Saturday.

Helen's Law will make it a legal requirement for the Parole Board to take into account a killer's failure to disclose the location of their victim's remains when considering them for release.

Mrs McCourt, from St Helens, Merseyside, said she hoped it would stop the "torture" of killers "calling the shots" and realise they need to co-operate.

If they do help, it should not automatically mean they can be released, she added.

When she marks what would have been her daughter's 54th birthday later this month, she said it would be with her "heart lifted" in light of the news.

But she said it was still agony being denied the chance to recover her daughter's remains, adding: "I wrote to him, begging him 'please, please just tell me and you will not hear from me again'.

She thanked her "amazing" MP Conor McGinn and Mr Gauke for their support in the campaign and said the wait for change was long but worth it.

Parole Board guidance already says offenders who withhold information may still pose a risk to the public and could therefore face longer in prison.

But Helen's Law will for the first time make it a legal requirement to consider this withholding of information when making a decision on whether to release an offender, the Ministry of Justice said.

It is hoped the legislation will be brought into force as soon as possible.

Courts can also hand down tougher sentences for murderers who deliberately conceal the location of a body.