Mother of murder victim Helen McCourt says she could have forgiven the killer if he had ever shown remorse

Marie McCourt was speaking exclusively to Yours magazine, a month after the man responsible for the 22-year-old insurance clerk’s death, himself died at the age of 66.

Ian Simms served far longer behind bars than he otherwise might have done following his conviction for Helen’s 1988 slaying because he never admitted to the crime nor revealed what he had done with her remains.

Simms is one of the few people in British legal history to have been convicted of murder without the victim’s body having been found.

A Liverpool Crown Court jury swiftly found the landlord of the George and Dragon pub guilty though, after the prosecution presented a mountain of incriminating forensic evidence, including DNA linking him to his victim.

As it was, Simms’s custodial term only ended two years ago, much to Mrs McCourt’s horror, having campaigned for the introduction of a legal clause that became known as Helen’s Law, awarding unrepentant killers who fail to disclose the resting place of their victims extra time behind bars.

Sadly the piece of legislation arrived too late to prevent Simms’s release, although his taste of liberty proved to be short-lived.

In her magazine interview, 79-year-old Marie reveals that she still searches for her daughter’s remains after all these years.

In fact she had been out doing so before her Yours magazine, and shows the nettle rash to prove it.

Being a devout Christian, Marie was asked about forgiveness in relation to Simms.

She said: “Maybe I could have forgiven him - if he’d shown compassion. But you can’t forgive somebody if they are not regretful. And he wasn’t.”

On hearing that Simms was dead, said: “It was the best news ever. There was no champagne celebration or anything because I wouldn’t waste the money on him.

“But I won’t be praying for his soul either. Actually I prayed he was in hell.”

Referencing her strong Catholic faith, Marie says she believes there was a reason that this tragedy had to happen to her daughter.

“As for God, I put my trust in God. There are reasons that it had to be Helen…”

Marie still desperately wishes to find her daughter’s body in the hope of giving her the Christian funeral that means so much to her.

She said: “My wellies are never far away. I would still love nothing more than to lay Helen to rest in the churchyard and place flowers on her grave.”

Her age, knee problems and osteoarthritis in her wrists are all reminders that time isn’t on her side and she’s hoping Simms will have confided in someone who will now come forward.

Despite everything, her hope, like her Catholic faith, is as strong as ever.

She said: “I will find Helen again, if not on this earth then the next one. If I drop dead tomorrow, I just hope our Helen will be there to catch me.”

After the news of Simm’s death broke, Marie received a handwritten note from Joan Lawrence, whose chef daughter Claudia Lawrence has been missing for 13 years.

“I saw you on breakfast tv this morning and I felt for you so much. You spoke so well, I am afraid I cracked up listening to you. It brings it all back,” Joan wrote.

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