Mum’s heartbreak at being denied chance to bury murdered daughter after she was strangled by pub landlord – who still won’t tell them where she is 31 years on
Twisted killer Ian Simms still refuses to reveal where victim Helen McCourt's body is 31 years after he brutally strangled her to death
LOSING a child is one of the worst things that can happen to a parent, but for heartbroken mother Marie she also has to deal with the unbearable pain of not being able to lay her beloved daughter to rest.
Helen McCourt was just 22 when she was snatched and brutally strangled to death by local pub landlord on the five-minute walk home from work - and 31 years on the twisted killer still refuses to reveal where her body is.
Despite overwhelming DNA evidence against him - including traces of blood and an opal earring identical to Helen's found in the boot of his car - Simms has continued to protest his innocence, denying Helen's family, from Billinge, Merseyside, the chance to give her a funeral and mourn her properly.
Now, Marie, 75, is campaigning for 'Helen's Law'- a bill designed to deny murderers the opportunity of parole if they refuse to reveal where their victim's body is.
She says: "I can never come to terms with the fact I will never be able to give Helen a burial."
Ahead of a new documentary, Missing Turns To Murder, Sun Online looks back at the harrowing story.
Disappeared without a trace
On February 9, 1988 Helen McCourt was looking forward to a night out with new boyfriend Frank, and had been due home at tea time to get ready for her date.
At 5:40pm she'd still failed to return home, and mum Marie began to grown concerned.
Marie and Helen's step-dad John retraced her steps to and from work but found no trace of her, reporting her missing to the police at 9:30pm that night.
Helen's disappearance was so out of character the police immediately launched an appeal.
Having established that Helen completed her journey on the bus to Billinge, they looked into the short five minute walk she would have done on foot, retracing her last movements and investigating every step along the route.
'Nervous and twitchy' killer
It was then that they met "nervous and twitchy" pub landlord Ian Simms, from the George and Dragon, on Main Street, close to the bus stop.
It quickly became apparent to police that he had a dark secret to hide - an unhealthy fascination with Helen.
Helen's best friend Gayner explained: “Often he’d flirt with the young people - but Helen wouldn’t succumb to those flirtations.
“She just thought he was a silly old man.
"She wasn't very enamoured with him. She didn't like his behaviour. He was married and had a young mistress."
Because of this, there was later speculation she'd threatened to expose his illicit affair.
Stepdad John added: "We didn't know the man. Yes we'd been to his pub three or four times but we didn't know what his character was like really."
A high pitched scream, traces of blood and discarded underwear
With the investigation ramping up, a man came forward to the police and reported hearing a high-pitch scream "cut off abruptly" coming from the rear door of the George and Dragon pub about the same time Helen got off the bus home.
Then, when searching Simms’ car, police found traces of blood and a woman’s opal and sapphire earring in the boot. When confronted, Simms’ said the blood must have been from his dog.
Fifteen miles away in Hollins Green, a man came across two bloodied towels, and a complete set of mens' clothing including underwear. Some of that clothing was promoting the beer on sale at the pub.
Mud in that area matched the mud from the bracelet and rings removed from Sims when he was arrested.
“Two officers came in plain clothes and they showed me a plastic vial with an earring in it, and they said does this mean anything to you? I said it was identical to Helen’s earring,” said Marie.
It was then the police arrested Sims on suspicion of murder.
What started as a disappearance case ended up being focused on murder - and it became clear that Helen was dead.
“I was relieved in a way,” continues Marie. “I wanted Helen back dead or alive, I wanted my child back. I just wanted her to be found.”
Dragged across the carpet and strangled with a flex cord
Forensic evidence turned to Simms’ flat above the pub.
His bloody fingerprints were found, plus fibres from Helen’s coat were from the carpet found in the pub, indicating she had been dragged forcefully along the floor.
A young boy also found a handbag in a river with Helen's ID inside, and a denim jacket hanging on the tree.
A piece of cord was also found which had bite marks matching Simms’ Rottweiler, and it was also tangled with Helen's hair.
The police officer said: "The hairs removed suggested Helen had been strangled with it using considerable force.
"Some of the hairs were broken and some were torn out at the roots."
'Not having a body is soul destroying'
A year after the disappearance, Simms appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
After five hours of deliberations, the jury found Simms guilty and he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 16 years, where he remains today.
But even then, it was a hollow victory - as Simms still continues to refuse to disclose where Helen's body is so she can be laid to rest.
“When he was found guilty I thought surely he will tell me now,” says Marie, who would co-ordinate weekly searches with up to 40 people, trying to bring her daughter's body home.
Thirty-one years after the murder, Helen’s body has never been found and the family still search for her remains.
Marie says: "I can never come to terms with the fact I will never be able to give Helen a burial."
Latest News:
Instead, a commemorative bench was set up for Helen to make up for her lack of burial.
Now, Marie continues to push for a change in the law - Helen’s Law - which prevents killers from hiding their victims’ bodies. “No body, no parole,” says Marie.
“Losing someone to murder is horrific enough - so not having a body is absolutely soul destroying,” says Gayner. “Someone can’t be remorseful if they are withholding that information. There’s no compassion.”
Stepdad John added: “I’m sure Helen would have been a mother - maybe even a grandmother by now.
“It’s a big hole. As long as we breathe she will be with us.”
When Missing Turns To Murder airs Monday 4 March, 9pm, on Crime + Investigation.