The sister of a woman brutally stabbed and dismembered by a hammer-wielding killer has said she fears he will "kill again" if released from prison. Martin Bell, 57, has served 12 years of a life sentence for the murder of 23-year-old Gemma Simpson in May 2000. He told his victim God wanted him to kill her, then repeatedly struck her with a hammer and stabbed her. He dismembered her and hid her remains at Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire, refusing to reveal her location for 14 years.
Release decision expected this week
Bell, who was sentenced in 2014, could now be released from open prison. His victim's sister, Naomi Carrack, from Otley, West Yorkshire, said she was "terrified" at the prospect and believes he will kill again. She said: "I honestly believe it could happen again. It terrifies me to think of how many people we've got walking around in society like that - just so they can free up spaces in prison. He is capable of stabbing, hammering and dismembering someone - and then moving on with his life for 14 years."
Bell, from Scarborough, had just been released from a psychiatric hospital when he attacked Ms Simpson, from Leeds, at his home in Harrogate. The two had known each other for five years, Leeds Crown Court heard, and were smoking cannabis together when Bell said: "God wants me to kill you". He struck her with a hammer, stabbed her in the back and the back of the head, then dragged her into the bathroom and left her face-down in the bath for several days. He later dismembered her body and buried her remains at Brimham Rocks, a National Trust beauty spot.
Family left in the dark
Bell remained silent while Ms Simpson was treated as a missing person for 14 years. He moved to Scarborough and worked as a taxi driver, leading what Ms Carrack described as an ordinary life. She said: "In all honesty, we feel like we've been failed from the very beginning. From the moment he was charged with manslaughter rather than murder, we knew he was never going to do any significant time. He has literally done the bare minimum. It offers no justice to Gemma or our family. He gets to move on with his life - and Gemma is still dead."
In July 2014, Bell walked into a police station in Scarborough, confessed to killing Ms Simpson and told officers where he had buried her. A psychiatric assessment diagnosed him with a psychotic mental illness. He admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was sentenced to life imprisonment that December. He was given a minimum term of 12 years, reduced to 11 years and 205 days to account for time already spent in custody. The Parole Board recommended in 2025 that Bell be moved from closed jail into open conditions ahead of his eligibility for release.
Parole hearing and victim impact
Ms Carrack wrote a "pleading letter" to then Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to prevent the transfer. She said the move was initially rejected before Bell challenged the decision successfully. She said: "I don't think someone capable of such a heinous, horrific crime should be in open conditions - it just sounds ludicrous to me." She said her family has been left in the dark about Bell's mental state, his progress and why he is considered safe for release. She was told his release hearing would take place at 10am on September 14, but was given no further information and expects to wait a fortnight for the decision.
Ms Carrack, who runs a cleaning business, said she was warned Bell could be allowed day release after entering open conditions. She fears encountering him because she lives around 10 miles from Harrogate, where the killing took place. She said: "We had no choice but to accept the injustice of the system. He has used the system - and he has done really well. Everything has gone his way."
Ms Carrack was 26 when Ms Simpson disappeared. She said her sister's remains were concealed for longer than Bell has so far spent behind bars. She said: "He managed to have a life after what he did. As a taxi driver, he would have been working with lone females in the car. It angers me so much."
Ms Simpson would have celebrated her 50th birthday this year. Ms Carrack said: "She was a really beautiful girl. She was so loving and kind. Gemma was always the cheeky one with the big personality and big brown eyes. She was very loved. I can't even imagine that she'd have been 50 this year. Gemma never had the opportunity to fall in love. She had never even been abroad. It just seems unreal to think what could have been."
The Parole Board said its decisions focus on whether a prisoner would pose a risk to the public if released and whether that risk could be managed in the community. Its panel considers evidence including the original offence, the prisoner's conduct and reports from probation officers, prison staff, psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as victim personal statements.
