A murderer who refuses to reveal where his estranged wife's body is hidden will remain in prison after a High Court judge overturned the Parole Board's decision to release him. Glyn Razzell, 66, was convicted of the murder of Linda Razzell, 41, who disappeared on her way to work at Swindon College, Wiltshire, in March 2002 amid ongoing divorce proceedings. He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years in 2003, and no trace of Linda's body has ever been found.
Helen's Law and Parole Refusal
Razzell became the first prisoner to be refused parole under the so-called Helen's Law in 2021. The Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Act 2020 aims to make it harder for killers to get parole if they refuse to reveal where they hid their victim's body. In his third and most recent review hearing last August, the Parole Board found there was 'ample evidence that Mr Razzell is capable of wholesale deceit (and) that his wilful and deliberate withholding of the relevant information indicates that he continues to be a risk'.
Despite that finding, the Board ruled in April that Razzell could be released on licence. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) referred the decision to the High Court, where senior judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb quashed it on Friday. She found Razzell was 'fundamentally dishonest' and 'continues to withhold information that he could deliver up'.
Family's Reaction and Calls for Justice
Following the ruling, Linda's daughter Catherine Razzell expressed relief, saying the decision was a 'relief' to her and her family, and that her father's continuing refusal to disclose the location of the remains was 'cruel'. She said: 'By choosing to withhold the only information that could provide us with some comfort and closure, and preventing us from being able to hold a funeral for our much-loved mother, he is clearly demonstrating he is still abusive – retaining power over the situation and prioritising his narrative, where he can deny killing her, despite being found guilty and given a life sentence.'
She added: 'To our knowledge, he is of sound mind and knows what he is doing, so there is no reason for him to be released while he is still actively choosing to be controlling and abusive from within prison. However, it is important to recognise that while we welcome the decision made today, part of my father's abuse is that, as a family, we have to go through this process. As well as experiencing the most devastating loss of my mother, 24 years later we are still in court trying to keep the rest of our family safe from a man who is continuing to do our family harm.'
Julie Westmore, Linda's cousin, called Razzell a 'master manipulator' who has 'always failed to take responsibility for his actions'. She said Helen's Law meant 'it has at last been recognised that it does matter when a murderer refuses to reveal where someone's remains are', adding: 'If Glyn Razzell remains in prison, it will be the incentive he needs to eventually do the right thing. It will be the right thing for everyone concerned, himself included. If Glyn Razzell is released now, all hope of ever finding Linda's remains will be lost.'
Court Ruling and Implications
During the two-day hearing, Tristan Jones KC, for the MoJ, acknowledged that Razzell had made a 'degree of progress' and that professionals supported his release, but argued the Parole Board's report 'loses sight of the fact that he has not been honest or transparent'. He said: 'Mr Razzell is a deeply deceitful individual who carried out a campaign of violence against Linda, some of it witnessed by their children, and then planned and carried out her murder. He is so attached to his narrative of innocence that he is willing to continue inflicting pain on the victims.'
Linda's partner Greg Worrall, appearing via video link, said Razzell was continuing to exert 'coercive control over people even in death'. He noted that during Razzell's multiple parole applications, he could 'show remorse' and disclose where Linda's remains were. Mr Worrall said: 'He knows the pain this is causing Linda's family and children.' Referencing Helen's Law, he added: 'We were assured he would never be released if he did not reveal Linda's whereabouts.'
Razzell, of Crewkerne, Somerset, attended the hearing in London and opposed the move, with his barristers arguing there was no basis to overturn the decision. He has always denied responsibility for the killing. He is currently held in an open prison in Suffolk and has both a job and a property outside the prison.
In her ruling, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb stated she was 'not satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that Glyn Razzell be confined'. She said: 'I am not persuaded that the risk has diminished to such a level that offender management is capable of keeping the public safe if the defendant is released.' She added that Razzell is 'fundamentally dishonest' and she is 'satisfied that he continues to withhold information that he could deliver up'. The judge also noted: 'Given his failure to carry out any substantive risk reduction work he is, as far as internal controls go, the same man he was when he killed Linda, and that is relevant to risk.'
The judge found 'significant gaps' in Razzell's 'understanding of the risk he poses', making it 'far from sufficient to persuade me that there is a secure foundation' for the Parole Board's conclusion. She also said the plan to manage Razzell's release 'relies on trust that has not been earned'. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remarked that Linda's loved ones had 'described their suffering with remarkable moral clarity', adding: 'The on-going agony of not being able to lay their beloved mother to rest and the regular pain of having to write down how they are coping with the hurt that invades so much of their lives should have rung in the defendant's ears. Perhaps it does?'
