Gemma Simpson family’s anger as killer bids for open prison

This week a parole hearing will be held to decide whether he 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 sister Naomi Carrack said she never expected to face a parole hearing so soon.

She said: “He’s actually only served 10 years of his sentence and so unfortunately I had no clue this was coming.

“We’ve kept as much as we can from Mum, although unfortunately we’ve had to share it with her now, in the last week.”

Bell had been sectioned in a mental health hospital in August 1999 but was released six weeks before attacking Miss Simpson, telling her that God wanted him to kill her.

A psychiatric report carried out after Bell’s arrest diagnosed him with a psychotic illness similar to schizophrenia.

Ms Carrack told the BBC she believed it would be dangerous to move Bell to an open prison.

“We know from his trial that he was always going to have a mental health issue so I find it very difficult to take in that he’s suddenly now all fixed, when it was cited at the time of sentencing that he would always be a danger to the public.”