RAYMOND VARLEY'S BID FOR FREEDOM IN LEICESTER AFTER 27 YEARS OF MURDER AND SEXUAL ASSAULT ON 12-YEAR-OLD CLAIRE MCINTYRE
In March 1991, a tragic and heinous crime unfolded in Leicester that would leave a lasting scar on the community and the family of a young girl named Claire McIntyre.Claire, just 12 years old at the time, was lured into the flat of Raymond Varley in Beaumont Leys under the pretense of receiving a birthday gift—a New Kids On The Block tape.
Once inside, the situation took a dark turn as Varley, a man with a troubling criminal history, indecently assaulted and ultimately murdered the innocent girl.
According to court records and family testimonies, Varley, who was 40 years old at the time, strangled Claire after assaulting her.
The attack was so violent that a judge later noted Claire appeared to have fought fiercely for her life.
After the assault, Varley temporarily left his flat, only to return and take further steps to conceal his crime.
He wrapped Claire’s body in a quilt and pushed it out of his kitchen window, attempting to hide her from view.
To mislead investigators and avoid suspicion, he also placed a note on his front door indicating he was away from home for two weeks.
Claire’s body was discovered several hours later in the undergrowth near her home on Rannoch Close, just yards from her residence.
Her family and the police launched a frantic search, and when her body was finally found, the devastating news was delivered to her loved ones.
The community was left in shock and grief, mourning the loss of a bright, outgoing girl.
In December 1991, Raymond Varley faced justice at Nottingham Crown Court.
He admitted to the charges of indecent assault and murder of Claire McIntyre.
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 18 years to be served before eligibility for parole.
Since then, Varley has remained behind bars, serving over 27 years of his sentence.
Recently, the Ministry of Justice informed Claire’s family that Varley has been granted a parole hearing.
Although no specific date has been set for this hearing, it will be conducted in private, with the parole board evaluating whether he is suitable for release.
The family has been given the opportunity to submit personal impact statements, which will be considered during the proceedings.
However, they will not be privy to the detailed reasons behind the parole board’s final decision.
Claire’s father, David McIntyre, aged 64, her mother, June Cartwright, aged 63, and her older brother, Scott McIntyre, aged 43, have expressed their distress and opposition to the possibility of Varley’s release.
They fear that he remains a danger to children, citing his criminal history, which includes convictions for threatening to kill his infant daughter, robbery, and armed robbery.
The family has voiced their concerns that Varley has not demonstrated genuine remorse or rehabilitation.
David McIntyre stated, “It’s as fresh in my mind now as it was the day it happened.
It never goes away.
All of us feel the same way about the possibility of this man being released.
People who commit crimes like this against a child do not deserve to be released, and we do not believe it would be safe to let him out.” June Cartwright added, “I carry around the memory of what he did every day.
You never forget, and you are never the same person again.
It’s changed me completely.
We couldn’t face returning to our home because it’s so close to where Claire died.
I don’t want him to come out of prison; I just don’t think it would be safe.” Scott McIntyre reflected on the impact, saying, “I was 16 at the time, and my memory of what he did to her is as vivid as if it happened yesterday.
But my younger siblings’ memories are vague.
Since he was sentenced, we never thought 18 years was nearly enough.
He’s been in prison for 27 years, and that shows he hasn’t been a model prisoner.
We don’t know if he’s truly changed.
It’s easy to pretend to be a model prisoner when you want to be released.
The judge told him that each of his crimes was increasingly violent.
We believe he still poses a risk, especially to children.” As the community and family grapple with the possibility of Varley’s release, the case remains a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of violent crime against children and the ongoing debate over rehabilitation and justice.
