The partner of a murdered mother-of-four has said her killer continues to exert "coercive control over people even in death".

Glyn Razzell from Crewkerne, Somerset, was jailed for life with a minimum of almost 16 years in 2003 for murdering his estranged wife, Linda Razzell, whose body has never been found.

The Parole Board has ruled three times since 2019 that Razzell should remain in prison, but in April decided he could be released on licence - despite his refusal to reveal the location of Linda's body.

Matthew Stanbury, defending Razzell, told a High Court hearing on Tuesday: "The Parole Board was right to conclude the defendant no longer poses an unacceptable risk to the public."

Linda's partner at the time of her death, Greg Worrall, told the court Razzell was still coercively controlling her and her family "even in death".

"We have rebuilt our lives based on the fact he cannot harm us any more," Worrall told judges through a video link.

He said Linda's family had "picked up the pieces of our shattered lives" with the support of friends and family, and had found "love and purpose" despite "sadness which will always be there".

The mother-of-four disappeared on her way to work at Swindon College, Wiltshire, in March 2002, amid divorce proceedings.

Worrall also asked judges to take Helen's Law into account - legislation which requires the Parole Board to consider a killer's refusal to disclose where they hid their victim's body.

"He is still committing the crime of denial of lawful burial and exercising coercive control," he said, adding: "We need an end to the ongoing agony."

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has referred the decision on whether to release Razzell to the High Court, telling a two-day hearing that the Parole Board failed to consider his risk properly.

Razzell, who is attending the hearing in London, has always denied being responsible for the killing.

Stanbury said in written submissions that the Parole Board's decision was "detailed and thorough", and that the MoJ's case "comes close to treating denial as conclusive to risk".

"The defendant's denial of the offence is relevant but not decisive on whether he should be released," the barrister told the court.

"It is relevant that support for defendant release was unanimous from those who gave reports to the panel," he said.

Stanbury said Razzell had started engaging well with professionals and his rapport with a psychologist had "blossomed".

He argued there had been an "improved attitude towards supervision and enhanced understanding of his personality traits and behaviour".

"We've seen a shift in willingness to complete work and that is integral to managing risk in community," he said.

He highlighted the fact a multi-agency panel had concluded in January that his risks can be managed in the community, as long as he is initially on the highest level of supervision.

"We believe it is no longer necessary to confine Mr Razzell for the protection of the public," he said.

At the end of the hearing, judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that she would give her decision "in a matter of weeks".

She later said: "I hope there is some movement in the defendant's mind. It is in his hands to do so."

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