Stephen Wynne, the former soldier who murdered 27-year-old mother-of-three Chantel Taylor with a meat cleaver in Birkenhead in 2004, has been recalled to prison, just eight months after his release. Chantel's mother, Jean Taylor, has accused him of 'playing the system' and has demanded to know why he was recalled.
Murder and Conviction
Wynne, who was 26 at the time, killed Chantel at his house on Elmswood Road in Birkenhead on March 13, 2004. He claimed he kept the meat cleaver in his bedroom for protection. He was only caught after torching the Shah Jalal mosque on Borough Road, Birkenhead, in 'revenge' for the 7/7 London bombings. During his arrest, police found handwritten notes referring to a woman's death and suspected his involvement in Chantel's murder.
Wynne later told police how he dismembered Chantel's body and hid it in his loft before moving the parts days later. He took police to Royden Park in Greasby and other locations where he claimed to have dumped her body, but nothing was ever found. Her family held a funeral with only traces of her DNA from the murder scene.
Release and Recall
Wynne was sentenced to 21 years, later reduced to 18 years by the Court of Appeal. In February 2022, the Parole Board recommended he be moved to an open prison, and a senior judge ruled in his favour after an initial rejection from the Secretary of State. He was transferred to open prison conditions in June 2023 and released in February this year after the Parole Board found his behaviour 'overwhelmingly positive'.
The parole panel determined his risk could be managed in the community, believing he had 'demonstrated an understanding of the enormity of his offending'. His licence conditions required him to live at a designated address, be of good behaviour, disclose developing relationships, and report to supervision.
However, the ECHO can reveal Wynne was recalled to prison on Friday, October 16. Jean Taylor received a call from her victim liaison officer, who informed her of the recall but could not discuss why or where. Jean told the ECHO: "You couldn't write it. He played the system and should never have been released, he should never have been given parole. I want to know why the victim's family cannot know why he was recalled. All I know is he wasn't in Merseyside. I think it is disgusting that I can't know why."
Official Response and Campaign
In an email seen by the ECHO, a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) staff member told her: "[Stephen Wynne] was returned to custody following his recall on the 16 of October 2026. He will remain in custody until a parole date is set." A spokesperson for the MoJ said: "Stephen Wynne's crimes were terrible, and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Chantel Taylor. Prisoners released on licence are kept under tight supervision. As this case shows, we do not hesitate to put them straight back behind bars if they break the rules."
Specific details of the recall have not been confirmed, but the ECHO understands Wynne has not committed a new criminal offence. Offenders released on licence are supervised by the Probation Service and can be recalled when their risk is assessed as unmanageable in the community. The Parole Board declined to comment.
Jean added: "In my opinion, he should be made to serve his original life sentence, not just his tariff of 21 years. Surely he shouldn't be allowed back out. There is no respect for human life. It's beyond belief."
Jean has campaigned for Chantel's Law, which would make the concealment or desecration of a body a separate crime. In April, she met with Esther McVey, MP for Tatton, who raised the issue in parliament. Ms McVey said: "Jean Taylor set up the organisation Families Fighting for Justice after her daughter, Chantel Taylor, was violently and savagely murdered. The murderer then desecrated and concealed her body. Jean Taylor wants to make sure that that is a crime in its own right, not just an aggravating factor."
Jean has long argued that Wynne gave the wrong location of her body, though the parole panel noted: "The police had confirmed that Mr Wynne had disclosed locations of the victim’s remains but due to the time that had elapsed, they were unable to recover them." Under Helen's Law, introduced in 2020, killers who refuse to disclose the location of their victims' remains are barred from parole. However, Jean believes the law has a drawback: if a killer claims to have disclosed the location, even if the remains are never found, Helen's Law does not apply. Wynne remains in custody until a parole date is set.
