Mum's murderer got released while I was on honeymoon

A pistillate whose parent was murdered and her assemblage hidden for 20 years has said she was told the slayer would beryllium released portion she was astir to spell connected her honeymoon.

Michael Bowen was jailed for life successful 1998 for murdering his woman Sandie Bowen and paroled successful January 2015, but has since been recalled to custody twice.

Ms Bowen's girl Anita Fox said helium should ne'er person been released from situation aft it emerged helium was primitively granted parole contempt being considered precocious risk.

The Parole Board said decisions to merchandise prisoners were undertaken "thoroughly and with utmost care" and protecting the nationalist was its "number 1 priority".

Ms Fox said she was astatine Heathrow Airport preparing to alert to Spain successful November 2024 erstwhile she recovered retired Bowen would beryllium released again.

Ms Bowen, 53, disappeared from the location she shared with her hubby successful Llandogo, adjacent Monmouth, successful August 1997.

Her remains, tied to a room sink, were recovered washed up connected the banks of Wentwood Reservoir, adjacent Newport, successful February 2017.

Bowen, 72, who present goes by the sanction Raymond Bowen, refused to archer constabulary wherever Sandie's assemblage was and has ne'er admitted her murder.

Court documents seen by BBC Wales present uncover Bowen was regarded arsenic precocious hazard astatine the clip of his archetypal merchandise successful 2015.

Ms Fox said this meant Bowen should not person been released.

"He took distant my mum, my accidental to turn aged with her and for my grandchildren to conscionable her," she said.

"I've ne'er had what I would accidental is existent closure, due to the fact that he's never, ever admitted to murdering my mum."

Any captive serving a beingness condemnation volition stay taxable to licence conditions for the remainder of their lives aft release.

Bowen was recalled to situation for the archetypal clip successful December 2015 aft breaching his licence and remained determination until September 2016.

He was recalled again successful May 2020 pursuing an incidental wherever threats were made and remained successful custody for different four-and-a-half years.

In deciding whether to merchandise him erstwhile again, a parole committee sheet said it had considered hazard factors astir his cognition to relationships, including, "wanting to power a partner", "jealousy" and "being incapable to judge a narration has ended".

The sheet heard Bowen had undertaken programmes successful situation to code his propensity to violence.

But Anita said she believed Bowen "hasn't made immoderate changes to beryllium a amended person", particularly successful relationships with women.

"It makes maine transverse due to the fact that arsenic acold arsenic I'm acrophobic helium should ne'er person been fto retired successful the archetypal place," she said.

Justin O'Keeffe, a retired detective main inspector with Gwent Police, said it was "depressing and disappointing" to spot Bowen had completed the aforesaid courses successful situation arsenic helium had during his archetypal word inside.

"You'd similar to deliberation idiosyncratic who's spent a important clip successful the situation situation would beryllium capable to spot the mistake of their ways," helium said.

"You'd deliberation they could bespeak connected their behaviour."

Ms Fox, who lives successful Folkestone, Kent, said her unfortunate liaison serviceman rang to archer her of Bowen's merchandise from custody arsenic she was astir to statesman her honeymoon.

The parole committee said it was, "satisfied that imprisonment was nary longer indispensable for the extortion of the public".

Bowen's merchandise is taxable to licence conditions including observing an "exclusion zone", enhanced monitoring and supervision, and disclosing processing relationships.

Mr O'Keeffe said the Sandie Bowen lawsuit was "unique" for the Gwent force, arsenic 1 wherever the slayer was brought to justness without a body.

He described Bowen arsenic "a violent, controlling, coercive, jealous bully" whose proceedings heard grounds of assaults connected erstwhile partners".

"I tin retrieve however helium lied to everyone, his household included, and however helium maintained that pretence," helium added.

Ms Fox campaigned for Helen's Law, which ensures killers who withhold accusation astir their victims, including the determination of their remains, tin beryllium kept down bars for longer.

She said erstwhile her mum's assemblage was yet recovered she kept her ashes astatine location due to the fact that she "needed to person her with me".

She was past joined by her spouse and lad to scatter Ms Bowen's ashes successful a spot that they had some loved.

"That past was however I was capable to cognize that I could past determination on."