An ex-soldier who killed a young mother with a meat cleaver before cutting up her body is set to be freed from prison, despite his victim’s remains never being found.
Stephen Wynne, 47, killed 27-year-old mother-of-three Chantel Taylor in Birkenhead, Merseyside in March 2004 by striking her in the neck, almost completely severing it, and then dismembering her with a saw.
Wynne hid her body parts in the loft of his home before later moving them to nearby woods and a local tip. Her remains have never been found.
The killer, who was 26 at the time of the murder, later claimed he kept the cleaver at his home ‘for protection against burglary’.
He had approached Chantel on the way home from a night out and invited her to his house, where the attack took place.
Wynne was only caught after setting fire to a mosque in Birkenhead the following year, in a ‘revenge’ attack following the 7/7 London bombings.
While in custody officers found handwritten notes in his home referring to the death of a woman, and he later confessed to the murder.
The killer took police officers to locations he said he had left Chantel’s remains, but nothing was found.
Chantel Taylor, 27, a mother-of-three, was murdered at a property in Birkenhead, Merseyside in March 2004
Stephen Wynne, 47, is now set to be freed despite his victim’s body never being found, following a meeting of the parole board
At court, he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 21 years, although this was reduced to 18 years on appeal.
Wynne has now been approved for release following a parole hearing where his behaviour was reported as ‘overwhelmingly positive’ and the murderer was said to have shown ‘genuine’ remorse.
This is in spite of tireless campaigning from Chantel’s mother, Jean Taylor, to keep her daughter’s killer behind bars.
She has previously accused Wynne of taking police to the wrong locations to find her daughter’s remains.
Speaking to the Daily Mail last year, she said Wynne ‘does not deserve parole full stop’.
She told the Echo in July that Wynne ‘broke my family’, adding: ‘He broke my family and left three children who were not brought up with their mother.
‘That’s another pain I have to carry. I won’t stop. I think of other families and try to be a voice for families of victims of homicide.’
A summary of the parole hearing said: ‘In hearing Mr Wynne’s evidence at the hearing, the panel considered his remorse for his offending and the pain he had caused to the victim’s family to be genuine.
‘The panel noted that he had taken responsibility for his offending and now does not seek to minimise or justify his actions.’
Chantel’s mother Jean Taylor has campaigned tirelessly to ensure that Wynne is not released but was unable to attend his parole hearing as the killer would be ‘overwhelmed’ knowing victim’s family would be present
It added Wynne had completed periods of testing via temporary release on licence in the community, including more than 30 periods of day release and ten periods of overnight release.
He was moved to an open prison in June 2023.
In its decision, the panel found Wynne had ‘demonstrated an understanding of the enormity of his offending, evidencing what the panel considered to be genuine remorse’.
It continued: ‘After considering the full detail of his case, the panel was satisfied that imprisonment was no longer necessary for the protection of the public.’
As part of his licence conditions, Wynne must reside at a designated address, be of good behaviour, disclose developing relationships and report to supervision.
He is also subject to drug testing, disclosure of vehicle use and electronic tagging.
Last July it was ruled that Wynne would be permitted to have his parole hearing in private because he would become ‘overwhelmed’ knowing Chantel’s family would be present at any public hearing.
The ruling stated: ‘If Mr Wynne was required to give evidence when he knew that members of the victim’s family and many members of the public were watching or listening to him there is a strong probability that he would be overwhelmed by their hostility towards him and would be unable to ‘give best evidence’.’
It added: ‘I am satisfied that Mr Wynne’s fears for the safety of his family and himself are genuine. This case has attracted a great deal of public attention, all of it extremely hostile to Mr Wynne.
‘That attention has inevitably been increased by the actions of the victim’s mother who has, entirely understandably and properly, campaigned tirelessly for a substantial increase in the sentences for offences of this kind.
‘She has strongly criticised the courts and the Parole Board for their handling of this case. She has expressed the view that the sentence imposed on Mr Wynne was wholly inadequate, that he should never have been transferred to an open prison and that he should certainly not be released on licence.’
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: ‘We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Stephen Wynne following an oral hearing. Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
‘A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims. Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.
‘Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing. It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.
‘Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.’
