Helen’s Law may to stop her killer
Jezza talks up election hopes He’s due for parole before it passes
HEAVY BURDEN The Queen in light crown is helped by Charles JEREMY Corbyn has hinted that he expects to be in power soon.
Fuelling speculation that we are on the verge of an election, the Labour leader said: “We may be weeks away from the first Queen’s Speech of a Labour government. [We] will put forward the most radical and peoplefocused programme in modern times.”
Mr Corbyn also slammed Tories’ plans to make voters present photo ID, saying it would hit ethnic minorities and poor people.
He said: “These plans are a blatant attempt to rig the result of the next election.”
Some 3.5 million UK citizens do not have access to photo ID. SPEECH PLAN Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn slammed Johnson A MUM who has won her fight to make it harder for “no body” murderers to be set free may be too late to block the release of her own child’s killer.
“Helen’s Law”, named in honour of Marie McCourt’s daughter, would force parole boards to take into account if a victim’s whereabouts is still unknown.
The new bill was announced during the Queen’s Speech yesterday, and is likely to become law by the spring.
But the Mirror can reveal Helen’s killer Ian Simms is up for parole in just three weeks, meaning Helen’s Law may not be passed in time to help find Helen, murdered age 22 in 1988.
Yesterday Marie met Justice Minister Robert Buckland to demand the parole bid is delayed.
She said: “I was just 44 when my daughter was so brutally murdered. Now I am 76 but still in the same position of being denied my daughter’s funeral. I’ll be HEARING Killer Simms thrilled to see Helen’s Law on the statute books. But even with it in place, I will try to find my daughter until my dying day.” She added: “I feel Robert Buckland is an honest person who I trust to stand up for victims. I asked ‘Has the law been written up? How close are we to seeing it presented?’” Mr Buckland said: “We have immense sympathy with Helen McCourt’s family and others in her situation. We are working to introduce [the bill] as soon as possible.”
The bill is set for two readings in the next two weeks and has cross-party support so is expected to survive even a change of government. Insurance clerk Helen was murdered by pub landlord Simms walking home in Billinge, Wigan, in 1988. Despite extensive searches her body has not been found.
Marie launched her Helen’s Law campaign in the Mirror in 2015. In July the Ministry of Justice approved it.
Simms’ last bid for parole, in January