Life for Killer of Leeds Woman Gemma Simpson

A taxi driver who admitted killing a woman in a frenzied'' attack with a hammer and a knife before sawing her legs off and burying her at a beauty spot has been told he must serve a minimum of 12 years in prison.

Martin Bell 45, said God had told him to kill 23-year-old Gemma Simpson when she was at his flat in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, 14 years ago in May 2000. Bell pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court earlier this week.

Today, Judge Peter Collier QC gave him a life sentence and ordered him to serve a minimum of 12 years.

Judge Collier said: “The killing of Gemma Simpson was brutal. Your treatment of her body after death was dreadful. “But your culpability was considerably diminished by your mental illness.”

Speaking outside court, Miss Simpson's father, Glenn, said he was "disgusted'' by the sentence but did not blame the judge. He said he believed Bell has manipulated the legal system and said he hoped he would "rot''.

Judge Collier earlier told the court it was a difficult and unique sentencing exercise as he had to consider the law as it was 14 years ago and, also, the fact that Bell is not currently showing the psychotic illness he was suffering from at the time.

The judge also noted he has not committed any acts of serious violence since he murdered Miss Simpson.

Mr Simpson said: He (Bell) brutally murdered Gemma - our Gemma - and left her buried in the ground for 14 years.

“We served that 14 years. He has 11 to serve. We believe he has manipulated the system.”

Mr Simpson, who was comforted by his daughter Naomi Carrick, said: "All we can say now is we hope he rots.''

The family issued a statement through West Yorkshire Police which said: “Gemma was a young woman in the prime of her life who raised a smile and lit up every room she entered.

“Her family will never come to terms with the loss of Gemma. We are victims as well.

“There is no sentence which can be imposed which will reduce the pain and suffering Martin Bell has caused Gemma's family during the past 14 years, whilst all the time he was leading a normal life.

“He left us in limbo for each one of those years. A total of nearly 5,000 days of pain in which we worried constantly for Gemma and her wellbeing.

“That chill in our hearts became an integral, perpetual part of our lives and the knowledge that Bell could watch all of our and the police's efforts to find her while going on with his own affairs for so long quite simply beggars belief.

“While we now know what happened to our daughter, there is a shadow on our lives which will never be lifted and Bell is the cause of that.

“Our beautiful Gemma was a bright shining light in our world. A light which Martin Bell extinguished.''