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29
Jun
‘We are terrified’: victim’s family responds to Harrogate killer’s potential open prison move
The family of a young woman who was fatally attacked have told the Stray Ferret they are traumatised at the possibility her killer could be moved to open prison.
The Stray Ferret revealed on Friday Martin Bell, who brutally killed Gemma Simpson at his Harrogate flat in May 2000, has been recommended for transfer to a category D prison.
Category D prisons are the lowest security prisons and allow inmates to spend most of their day away from custody. They can work, enrol in education and access services to assist them with reintergrating into society.
A Parole Board panel recommended Bell, who repeatedly struck Gemma with a hammer before dismembering and burying her body, be transferred following a hearing on June 12. This is still subject to approval by the Secretary of State.
The prospect of Bell walking the streets again is within close reach, but Gemma’s family feel those streets will be much less safe as a result.
“We feel terrified for ourselves and others”, Gemma's sisters said.
Bell was sectioned in 1999 after suffering from a “psychotic illness and serious delusional beliefs” and was found to have a “highly unusual personality structure amounting to a personality disorder”. He killed Gemma some six weeks after being released from psychiatric care.
An inquiry into Bell's mental health treatment was carried out following Gemma's death. Her sisters Krista and Naomi said:
What reassurances can we be given that he won’t re-offend? We are fearful he is at risk of doing this again as he was calculated and controlled when hiding her murder and her body.
Gemma’s sisters describe her as a free spirit, witty, loving and family-orientated.
“She loved spending time with her niece, nephew and younger brother. She was a character with a heart of gold”, they said.
Martin Bell
‘He kept our family prisoner for 14 years’
Bell has spent 10-and-a-half years behind bars, but he will not be an entirely free man until at least July 12, 2026.
But Gemma’s sisters have questioned the Parole Board’s motive behind the decision, which they feel has been rushed.
We have concerns that this hearing has been undertaken far too early and we question if this is motivated by prison capacity rather than getting justice for Gemma.
He has been in prison for only 10-and-a-half years. He kept our family prisoner for 14 years before his horrific and brutal murder of our beautiful Gemma was revealed.
Gemma's sisters feel Bell's final year of his minimum term should be spent in a closed prison and believe justice for Gemma would not be served if his transfer is approved.
Her family shared the victim impact statement read at the hearing with the Stray Ferret. A section of it reads:
The repercussions of Gemma's murder have been devastating for her family. They have endured years of trauma, nightmares and anxiety, haunted by the knowledge that Gemma's life was violently taken away. Their lives will never be the same again. The pain they feel is immeasurable and the grief they carry is a burden that weighs heavily on their hearts.
Bell 'understands the gravity of his offending'
The news comes just over a decade after Bell was sentenced to life behind bars for manslaughter with diminished responsibility.
Justice Collier handed Bell a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Leeds Crown Court in December 2014. After time spent on remand awaiting sentencing was deducted, Bell was ordered to spend at least 11 years and 205 days in prison.
Only prisoners who have been assessed and deemed suitable for open prison conditions are eligible for transfer.
The Parole Board panel believed Bell is remorseful for his actions and understands the “nature and gravity of his offending”.
The panel heard evidence from Bell himself, as well as the supervisor of his case in prison, a psychologist employed by the prison service, a psychiatrist and a keyworker at the prison.
The report said Bell has undertaken substantial therapeutic intervention during his time in custody and “no significant concerns” have been raised about his behaviour in prison.
Bell also recognises he was "acutely unwell" at the time of the killing, according to the Parole Board, and has been “open and honest” with professionals about his difficulties.
The witnesses felt there was no need for further offence-focussed work in a closed prison and recommended Bell be moved to an open prison.
The Stray Ferret has followed Bell's case closely. You can read our full interview with Gemma's sister Krista here.
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