Murder victim’s daughter learned of killer’s release on honeymoon

A lady whose mom was murdered and her physique hidden for 20 years has mentioned she was advised the killer can be launched whereas she was about to go on her honeymoon.

Michael Bowen was jailed for life in 1998 for murdering his spouse Sandie Bowen and paroled in January 2015, however has since been recalled to custody twice.

Ms Bowen’s daughter Anita Fox mentioned he ought to by no means have been launched from jail after it emerged he was initially granted parole regardless of being thought-about excessive danger.

The Parole Board mentioned selections to launch prisoners have been undertaken “completely and with excessive care” and defending the general public was its “primary precedence”.

Ms Fox mentioned she was at Heathrow Airport making ready to fly to Spain in November 2024 when she discovered Bowen can be launched once more.

Ms Bowen, 53, disappeared from the house she shared along with her husband in Llandogo, close to Monmouth, in August 1997.

Her stays, tied to a kitchen sink, have been discovered washed up on the banks of Wentwood Reservoir, close to Newport, in February 2017.

Bowen, 72, who now goes by the title Raymond Bowen, refused to inform police the place Sandie’s physique was and has by no means admitted her homicide.

Courtroom paperwork seen by PJ Wales now reveal Bowen was thought to be excessive danger on the time of his preliminary launch in 2015.

Ms Fox mentioned this meant Bowen mustn’t have been launched.

“He took away my mum, my alternative to develop previous along with her and for my grandchildren to satisfy her,” she mentioned.

“I’ve by no means had what I might say is actual closure, as a result of he is by no means, ever admitted to murdering my mum.”

Any prisoner serving a life sentence will stay topic to licence circumstances for the remainder of their lives after launch.

Bowen was recalled to jail for the primary time in December 2015 after breaching his licence and remained there till September 2016.

He was recalled once more in Could 2020 following an incident the place threats have been made and remained in custody for one more four-and-a-half years.

In deciding whether or not to launch him as soon as once more, a parole board panel mentioned it had thought-about danger elements round his angle to relationships, together with, “wanting to regulate a companion”, “jealousy” and “being unable to just accept a relationship has ended”.

The panel heard Bowen had undertaken programmes in jail to handle his propensity to violence.

However Anita mentioned she believed Bowen “hasn’t made any modifications to be a greater individual”, particularly in relationships with ladies.

“It makes me cross as a result of so far as I am involved he ought to by no means have been set free within the first place,” she mentioned.

Justin O’Keeffe, a retired detective chief inspector with Gwent Police, mentioned it was “miserable and disappointing” to see Bowen had accomplished the identical programs in jail as he had throughout his first time period inside.

“You’d prefer to suppose somebody who’s spent a major time within the jail setting would have the ability to see the error of their methods,” he mentioned.

“You’d suppose they might mirror on their behaviour.”

Ms Fox, who lives in Folkestone, Kent, mentioned her sufferer liaison officer rang to inform her of Bowen’s launch from custody as she was about to start her honeymoon.

The parole board mentioned it was, “happy that imprisonment was now not mandatory for the safety of the general public”.

Bowen’s launch is topic to licence circumstances together with observing an “exclusion zone”, enhanced monitoring and supervision, and disclosing growing relationships.

Mr O’Keeffe mentioned the Sandie Bowen case was “distinctive” for the Gwent drive, as one the place the killer was dropped at justice and not using a physique.

He described Bowen as “a violent, controlling, coercive, jealous bully” whose trial heard proof of assaults on earlier companions”.

“I can keep in mind how he lied to everybody, his household included, and the way he maintained that pretence,” he added.

Ms Fox campaigned for Helen’s Law, which ensures killers who withhold details about their victims, together with the situation of their stays, may be saved behind bars for longer.

She mentioned when her mum’s physique was lastly discovered she saved her ashes at dwelling as a result of she “wanted to have her with me”.

She was then joined by her companion and son to scatter Ms Bowen’s ashes in a spot that that they had each beloved.

“That then was how I used to be capable of know that I may then transfer on.”