[46] At his trial, he pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of murder, but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Updated: 20:52, 6 Nov 2020 YORKSHIRE Ripper Peter Sutcliffe has tested positive for Covid after leaving hospital. In one encounter, no one spotted that he was wearing a pair of boots that matched a print left at the scene of one of his crimes. Though he'd confessed to being the Yorkshire Ripper after his January arrest, in court he pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder, claiming diminished responsibility (akin to a plea of temporary insanity in the United States). You have made your point. The two married on August 10, 1974. ", Yet Sutcliffe's plea of diminished responsibility, which could have resulted in a lighter sentence, wasn't successful. A report by the While it should have been the effective nerve centre of the whole police operation, the backlog of unprocessed information resulted in the failure to connect vital pieces of related information. Police analysis of bank operations allowed them to narrow their field of inquiry to 8,000 employees who could have received it in their wage packet. What is needed is an officer of sound professional competence who will inspire confidence and loyalty". Tyre tracks left near the murder scene resulted in a long list of possible suspect vehicles. [40] Humble died on 30 July 2019, aged 63.[41]. The police obtained a search warrant for his home in Heaton and brought his wife in for questioning. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. In October 2020, it was announced that ITV was to produce a new six-part drama series about the Ripper. Over three months the police interviewed 5,000 men, including Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe shared that he'd killed sex workers due to his belief that he was on a "divine mission. Byford described delays in following up vital tip-offs from Trevor Birdsall, who on 25 November 1980 sent an anonymous letter to police, the text of which ran as follows: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, I have good reason to now [sic] the man you are looking for in the Ripper case. Although Sutcliffe was interviewed about it, he was not investigated further (he was contacted and disregarded by the Ripper Squad on several further occasions). [86] The attacker fitted Sutcliffe's description, being described as 5feet 8inches (1.73m) tall with black hair and a beard, and hit her with a hammer. Police bought into the hoax even as some survivors informed authorities that their assailant had spoken with a Yorkshire accent. Once she was dead, Sutcliffe mutilated her corpse with a knife. Peter Sutcliffe Photos and Premium High Res Pictures The visit led to front-page tabloid headlines. Sutcliffe was accompanied by four members of the hospital staff. But "for some inexplicable reason", said the Byford Report, the papers remained in a filing tray in the incident room until Sutcliffe's arrest on 2 January 1981, the following year.[69]. In 1976, Sutcliffe found a job as a truck driver. Sutcliffe was convicted in 1981 for murdering 13 women, as well as attempting Police identified a number of attacks which matched Sutcliffe's modus operandi and tried to question the killer, but he was never charged with other crimes. Peter Sutcliffe, shown in a 1974 photo, was convicted on multiple counts of murder in 1981. [143] To be titled The Long Shadow, it was expected to air in September 2022.[144]. Peter Sutcliffe Cause of Death: How Did the Killer Die? While awaiting trial, he killed two more women: 47-year-old Marguerite Walls on the night of 20 August 1980, and 20-year-old Jacqueline Hill, a student at Leeds University, on the night of 17 November 1980. [86] At the time detectives did not believe Schlessinger's murder was a Ripper killing as she was not a prostitute. [75] Pearson's murder was re-classified as a Ripper killing in 1979, while Wilkinson's murder was not reviewed. [38] Sutcliffe displayed regret only when talking of his youngest murder victim, Jayne MacDonald, and when questioned about the killing of Joan Harrison, he vehemently denied responsibility. Heartbroken dad speaks out as body of teen and 6 others found after sleepover, Seven bodies found just hours after Amber Alert for two missing girls, 'Cult mom' Lori Vallow's hair found on duct tape used to wrap son's body, Inside Jeffrey Epstein's private calendar including meeting with Noam Chomsky, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, This was the last-ever sighting of Peter Sutcliffe in 2015, The bloated killer looked a world away from the monster who terrorised the North in the 1970s, The killer was escorted to a hospital for treatment to his eye, He appeared in good spirits and joked with staff, It was the first time Sutcliffe had been seen in 34 years, The monster lost the sight in his left eye after he was stabbed in the face with a pen by fellow Broadmoor patient Ian Kay in 1997, Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe dead at 74 Serial killer who murdered 13 women dies from Covid. [90] Witnesses saw a man running from the scene wearing a Donovan hat, one of which Sutcliffe was known to have owned, but police never interviewed him at the time. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Peter Sutcliffe dead - Yorkshire Ripper was last seen in public Richardson was bludgeoned to death with a hammer. Peter William Sutcliffe (2 June 1946 13 November 2020), also known as Peter Coonan and dubbed in press reports as the Yorkshire Ripper (an allusion to Jack the Ripper) was an English serial killer who was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. [14] On 5 March 1976, Sutcliffe was dismissed for the theft of used tyres. Following Sutcliffe's conviction, the government ordered a review of the investigation, conducted by the Inspector of Constabulary Lawrence Byford, known as the "Byford Report". Peter Sutcliffe was snapped looking bloated when he was seen in public for the first time since he was jailed in 1981. One of the first famous crime scene photos was taken on May 5, 1903, in the home of a Parisian woman named Madame Debeinche who had been murdered. Sutcliffe was arrested in 1981 and pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder. From 1975 to 1980, Peter William Sutcliffe terrorized the people of Yorkshire, England, with his bizarre serial killing style viciously attacking young woman and teenage girls with a hammer and a screwdriver. Sutcliffe was serving a [58] He found wanting Oldfield's focus on the hoax tape[59]:8687[60] and his ignoring advice from survivors of Sutcliffe's attacks and several eminent specialists, including from the FBI in the United States, along with dialect analysts[61] such as Stanley Ellis and Jack Windsor Lewis,[59]:88 that "Wearside Jack" was a hoaxer. THIS was the last-ever sighting of the Yorkshire Ripper as he was taken to hospital for an eye operation. That month, Sutcliffe killed Yvonne Pearson, a 21-year-old prostitute from Bradford. Dad who got trapped inside indoor adventure centre cave dies from his injuries, Britain's Got Talent audience member shares secret of Noodle the cat's audition, Fire rips through seaside town after gas explosion destroying chip shop, Brit MasterChef Australia host dies aged 46 as Gordon Ramsay leads tributes, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. [86] Although a hammer was not used, Sutcliffe also often used a knife to stab his victims. Peter Sutcliffe dead - Yorkshire Ripper was last seen in public These victims survived, though with lasting trauma and severe injuries. [9][pageneeded], The first victim to be killed by Sutcliffe was Wilma McCann on 30 October. ", "Son of Yorkshire Ripper victim Emily Jackson says 'thank f*** for that' after killer's death", "How Coronation Street's Les Battersby actor became a Yorkshire Ripper suspect Bruce Jones says the mix-up cost him his marriage", "Peter Sutcliffe murdered 13 women: I was nearly one of them", "Wearside Jack: I deserve to go to jail for 'evil' Ripper hoax", "Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer Wearside Jack dies", "THE ATTACKS AND MURDERS - THERESA SYKES", "DNA helps police "solve" 1975 Joan Harrison murder", "Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe's weight-gain strategy in latest bid for freedom", "Yorkshire Ripper: Tribunal rules Peter Sutcliffe can be sent to mainstream prison", "Six more attacks that the Ripper won't admit", "Story of Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer "Wearside Jack" to be made into movie", Judgments Brooks (FC) (Respondent) versus Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis (Appellant) and others, "Families of Yorkshire Ripper victims receive police apology for language used during investigation", Report into the Police Handling of the Yorkshire Ripper Case, "Ripper guilty of additional crimes, says secret report", "Peter Sutcliffe, the bullied mummy's boy who gave millions nightmares", "BBC - Inside Out - Yorkshire & Lincolnshire - Ripper mystery", "Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders. [78] Yallop continued to put forth the theory that Sutcliffe was the real killer. [13] Because of this occupation, he developed a macabre sense of humour. [38], The police discontinued the search for the person who received the 5 note in January 1978. Despite the false lead, Sutcliffe was interviewed on at least two other occasions in 1979. [72] Later that year, in September 1969,[73] he was arrested in Bradford's red light area for being in possession of a hammer, an offensive weapon, but he was charged with "going equipped for stealing" as it was assumed he was a potential burglar. The serial killer, who was not handcuffed, looked carefree as he shared a joke with security guards. The fronts of the elbows were padded to protect his knees as, presumably, he knelt over his victims' corpses. And how did he die? [7] The High Court dismissed an appeal by Sutcliffe in 2010, confirming that he would serve a whole life order and never be released from custody. [124] The appeal was rejected on 14 January 2011. [76][75] Police eventually admitted in 1979 that the Ripper did not solely attack prostitutes, but by this time a local man, Anthony Steel, had already been convicted of Wilkinson's murder. The 1982 Byford Report into the investigation concluded: "The ineffectiveness of the major incident room was a serious handicap to the Ripper investigation. The pictures were taken while Sutcliffe was still a patient at Broadmoor Hospital. [66][34][67] Jim Hobson, a senior West Yorkshire detective, told a press conference in October 1979 the perpetrator: "has made it clear that he hates prostitutes. He became a grave digger in 1964, which led to a part-time job at a local morgue. Published: Dec 14, In April 1979, Sutcliffe killed Josephine Whittaker, a 19-year-old bank clerk. At Dewsbury, Sutcliffe was questioned in relation to the Ripper case as he matched many of the known physical characteristics. He killed another sex worker, Emily Jackson, 42, in January 1976. Sutcliffe was convicted in 1981 of murdering 13 women in Yorkshire and Manchester between 1975 and 1980. A witness said at the time:Sutcliffe looked really calm and quite happy. They had no children. She resumed a teacher training course, during which time she had an affair with an ice-cream van driver. It was a beautiful sunny day and he looked like an old man strolling to his allotment or something. Weeks later he claimed God had told him to murder the women. He left school at fifteen and held a variety of jobs, including work at a factory, as a gravedigger [85] In 2022, ITV broadcast a documentary based on Clark and Tate's book which discussed links between Wilkinson's murder and Sutcliffe. Peter Sutcliffe: Prison report examines death of killer Who were the victims of Peter Sutcliffe? The play was produced by New Diorama.[142]. [92] Detectives had been able to compare Sutcliffe's DNA with the killer's in order to eliminate him from the inquiry. Read our Yorkshire Ripper live blog for the latest news & updates. Sutcliffe took two more lives in 1980: civil servant Marguerite Walls, 47, in August and 20-year-old Jacqueline Hill, a student, in November. He became a trusted employee and remained in the position during his killing spree. Many people do. Terror spread through the area as the attacks continued, spurring a years-long manhunt that incorporated an estimated 2.5 million police hours. Although broadcast over two weeks, two episodes were shown consecutively each week. While at Parkhurst he was seriously assaulted by James Costello, a 35-year-old career criminal with several convictions for violence. On 4 August 2010, a spokeswoman for the Judicial Communications Office confirmed that Sutcliffe had initiated an appeal against the decision. [48][49], Sutcliffe pleaded guilty to seven charges of attempted murder. [29] An extensive inquiry, involving 150 officers of the West Yorkshire Police and 11,000 interviews, failed to find the culprit. [22] Claxton was four months pregnant when she was attacked, and lost the baby she was carrying. [91] Sinclair is also the prime suspect in the murders of Kenny, McAuley and Cooney, but detectives felt they did not have enough evidence to charge him before his death in prison in 2019. Sutcliffe killed three more people in 1978: sex workers Yvonne Pearson, 22, and Helen Rytka, 18, were murdered in separate attacks in January. Sutcliffe died at the age of 74 on November 13, 2020, in the University Hospital of North Durham, near the prison where he'd been serving his sentence. [40] Humble, the hoaxer, appeared to know details of the murders which had not been released to the press, but which in fact he had acquired from pub gossip and his local newspaper. When Sutcliffe returned, he was out of breath, as if he had been running; he told Birdsall to drive off quickly. They were snapped as the Ripper was taken for tests as part of a series of treatments that cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds. Attempts to send him to a secure psychiatric unit were blocked. [5] This drew condemnation from the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), who protested outside the Old Bailey. The police told him he was "very lucky", as the woman did not want to press charges. [101][92], For many years Sutcliffe was linked in the press to the murder of 42-year-old Marion Spence in Leeds on 10 June 1979, but a man had in fact been convicted of her murder in January 1980. Leading eye doctors were trying to save the sight of the frail serial killer in one of many trips Sutcliffe made to hospital during his final years. Paul Wilson, a convicted robber, asked to borrow a videotape before attempting to strangle Sutcliffe with the cable from a pair of stereo headphones. Clark (Holdings) Ltd. on the Canal Road Industrial Estate in Bradford. [69], Birdsall's letter was marked "Priority No. [44], When Sutcliffe was stripped at Dewsbury police station he was wearing an inverted V-necked jumper under his trousers. This inquiry also looked at the killings of two prostitutes in southern Sweden in 1980. Free shipping for many products! After leaving school Sutcliffe took on several different jobs, including at a factory and a mill. He also attacked three other women, who survived: Uphadya Bandara in Leeds on 24 September 1980; Maureen Lea (known as Mo),[42] an art student attacked in the grounds of Leeds University on 25 October 1980; and 16-year-old Theresa Sykes, attacked in Huddersfield on the night of 5 November 1980. The police found that the alibi given for Sutcliffe's whereabouts, that he had attended a family party, was credible. On May 22, 1981, he was found guilty of 13 murders and seven counts of attempted murder. On 10 January 1983, he followed Sutcliffe into the recess of F2, the hospital wing at Parkhurst, and plunged a broken coffee jar twice into the left side of Sutcliffe's face, creating four wounds requiring thirty stitches. [105] The Home Office confirmed that it was, indicating that Sutcliffe can be ruled out of unsolved murder cases in which there is existing DNA evidence such as in the Mayo, Stratford and Weedon cases. [70], The Byford Report's major findings were contained in a summary published by the Home Secretary, William Whitelaw, the first time precise details of the bungled police investigation had been disclosed. [69] Byford said: The failure to take advantage of Birdsall's anonymous letter and his visit to the police station was yet again a stark illustration of the progressive decline in the overall efficiency of the major incident room. Only days after Sutcliffe's conviction in 1981, crime writer David Yallop asserted that he may have been responsible for the murder of Carol Wilkinson, who was randomly bludgeoned over the head with a stone in Bradford on 10 October 1977, nine days after his killing of Jean Jordan. Episode 1", "Yorkshire Ripper 'has admitted more attacks', "Sutcliffe's 'secret murders': When Yorkshire Ripper was quizzed on unsolved Dundee killings", "Tayside murders 'bore hallmark of the Ripper', "Angus Sinclair: A lifetime of abuse, rape and murder", "The Bristol prostitute murdered as the Yorkshire Ripper hunted red light districts", "Wendy Sewell murder: Pathology report 'contradicts conviction', "Yorkshire Ripper moved back to prison after 32 years in Broadmoor", "Crime case closed: Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper", "Deranged killer admits Yorkshire Ripper blinding", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe 'fit to be freed from Broadmoor', "Summer date for hearing that could lead to parole for Ripper", "Yorkshire Ripper will never be released", "Yorkshire Ripper to remain locked up for life", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe challenges "whole life" ruling", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe challenges full-life jail sentence", "Yorkshire Ripper loses bid to appeal "whole life" term", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe loses life tariff case", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe 'facing Broadmoor exit', "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe moved from Broadmoor to prison", "Yorkshire Ripper moved back to prison from psychiatric hospital", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe dies aged 74", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe cremated at secret funeral", "This is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper Awards", "Crimes That Shook Britain Series 4 | Crime and Investigation", "The Yorkshire Ripper Investigation, The Reunion BBC Radio 4", "The Yorkshire Ripper Files: A Very British Crime Story", "The Incident Room review Yorkshire Ripper retelling puts police in the spotlight", "Long Shadow Yorkshire Ripper drama cast includes some big names", "WELCOME TO CHAPELTOWN: COREY TAYLOR AND CLOWN DELVE INTO SLIPKNOT'S NEW 'BARNBURNER', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Sutcliffe&oldid=1152480740, British people convicted of attempted murder, Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in England, English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, People convicted of murder by England and Wales, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales, Prisoners who died in England and Wales detention, Serial killers who died in prison custody, Articles with self-published sources from January 2021, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2021, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with incomplete citations from June 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from September 2022, Articles lacking page references from January 2021, Articles with dead external links from October 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 22+ (13confirmed murdered, 7confirmed injured, 2suspected to be injured, at least 1 other officially suspected murder), This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 14:06. His parents were John William Sutcliffe and his wife Kathleen Frances (ne Coonan), a native of Connemara. West Yorkshire Police made it clear that the victims wished to remain anonymous.[54]. [23][133][19][134] A private funeral ceremony was held, and Sutcliffe's body was cremated. I went back to the car and got in it".[24]. Smelt later told Detective Superintendent Dick Holland (later the Ripper Squad's second in command) that her attacker had a Yorkshire accent but this information was ignored, as was the fact that neither she nor Rogulskij were in towns with a red light area. In addition, police believed that the women Sutcliffe targeted had engaged in behavior such as sex work, being out late at night or drinking alone that had attracted his attention, and counseled women to either stay home at night or only go out with a trusted male escort. The findings were made fully public in 2006, and confirmed the validity of the criticism of the force. The judge sentenced him to 20 life terms and recommended a minimum sentence of 30 years. In 2017, police admitted to reviewing unsolved cases for ties to Sutcliffe. [103], In 2015, authors Chris Clark and Tim Tate published a book claiming links between Sutcliffe and unsolved murders, titled Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Complete Airbrush Manual by Owen, P. at the best online prices at eBay! [86][90] There were also two men on Hellawell's list of possible victims. 1". After he was captured and behind bars, Sutcliffe began using his mother's maiden name and going by Peter William Coonan. In the series she questions whether the attitude of both the police and society towards women prevented Sutcliffe from being caught sooner. British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe dead after positive The pictures taken in 2015 are the last ever taken of Sutcliffe before he died from Covid this morning in hospital. [86] She survived the attack with serious injuries as a man distrupted the attacker, who matched Sutcliffe's description. Of these victims, MacDonald had not engaged in sex work. [86] Detectives were able to eliminate Sutcliffe from forty of these cases with reference to his lorry driver's logs, leaving twenty-two unsolved crimes with hallmarks of a Ripper attack which were investigated further. It's me. [92] South Yorkshire Police also interviewed Sutcliffe on the murder of Ann Marie Harold in Mexborough in 1980, but links to him were later disproved when another man was convicted of her murder in 1982. The group and other feminists had criticised the police for victim-blaming, especially for the suggestion that women should remain indoors at night. Sutcliffe committed his second assault on the night of 5 July 1975 in Keighley. "[38], On 4 April 1979, Sutcliffe killed Josephine Whitaker, a 19-year-old clerk whom he attacked on Savile Park Moor in Halifax as she was walking home. On 1 September, Sutcliffe murdered 20-year-old Barbara Leach, a Bradford University student. YORKSHIRE Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was allowed to paint disturbing pictures in Broadmoor Hospital including one showing him inside the car he used at the start of his killing spree. In these brutal crimes victims were often battered with a hammer, as well as being stabbed and mutilated with a knife or sharpened screwdriver. Sutcliffe hid a second knife in the toilet cistern at the police station when he was permitted to use the toilet. [11] In his late adolescence, Sutcliffe developed a growing obsession with voyeurism, and spent much time spying on prostitutes and the men seeking their services. Self: Martin Kemp's Murder Files. All Rights Reserved. This attitude was also on display during Sutcliffe's trial, when a prosecutor said of the victims, "Some were prostitutes, but perhaps the saddest part of the case is that some were not. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. [122] Sutcliffe spent the rest of his life in custody. She survived and provided police with a description of her attacker. [16] When Sonia completed the course in 1977 and began teaching, she and Sutcliffe used her salary to buy a house at 6 Garden Lane in Heaton, into which they moved on 26 September 1977, and where they were living at the time of Sutcliffe's arrest.[17]. In that episode, Sutcliffe is played by Joseph Mawle. 28 Serial Killer Crime Scene Photos From Famous Peter Sutcliffe, the serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper, has died in hospital, a Prison Service spokesman said. The first woman Sutcliffe is known to have killed was 28-year-old Wilma McCann in October 1975. The Yorkshire Ripper has attracted continued interest over the years, with his story being told in a true-crime podcast and in the 2020 documentary The Ripper.