Christopher Simcox was a man sentenced to life imprisonment for murder who was released on licence and later convicted of a second murder. In April 1964 the Home Secretary, Henry Brooke, told the House of Commons that there had been only two cases in the century of a released life-sentence prisoner committing a second murder, and that Simcox was one of them.
Simcox was convicted of murder and received a life sentence. The court, the date of the verdict, the charge wording, the victim and the town are not on record. Any death sentence, reprieve or commutation in that case is not on record either.
While he was in prison he was examined by prison medical officers. Reports from 1957 and 1958 found him fit for open conditions and of normal mental state. The doctors were experienced members of the Prison Medical Service, though they did not hold a diploma in psychological medicine. The year of his release on licence is not on record.
After his discharge Simcox lived a law-abiding life for five years. The Home Secretary described what followed as a most exceptional case.
On September 20, 1963, Simcox was charged with a lesser offense and remanded in custody. The Home Secretary was notified on September 24, 1963. The question of revoking his licence was put off until the case was decided. The court convicted him of the offense and placed him on probation instead of sending him to prison. The Home Secretary said that recalling him to prison would have overridden the court's decision. The Home Office received no police reports on his conduct after the probation began.
Simcox was convicted of a second murder. The court, the date of the verdict, the exact charge wording, the sentence, any reprieve and any commutation are not on record. The name and role of the person he killed, and the town, are not on record.
Leo Abse, a Member of Parliament, pressed the Home Secretary on the medical advice behind the releases. He said that at Simcox's last trial no outside medical opinion had been obtained at all, and asked whether the prison medical officer who gave the opinion held a psychiatric diploma. The Home Secretary answered that the doctors who examined Simcox were very experienced men.
Simcox's later life, his release if any, and his death are not on record.
His death sentence and any commutation for the second murder are not on record. The years of the two cases are not on record.
Not on record: first murder conviction and life sentence.
1957 and 1958: prison medical reports find him fit for open conditions.
Not on record: release on licence.
September 20, 1963: charged with a lesser offense; remanded in custody.
September 24, 1963: the Home Secretary is notified of the charge.
Late 1963: convicted of that offense and placed on probation (date not on record).
Not on record: conviction for the second murder.
April 16, 1964: the Home Secretary names Simcox in the Commons as one of two released life-sentence prisoners to commit a second murder.