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. Web241 Yorkshire Ripper Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Editorial Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 241 Yorkshire Ripper Premium High Res Photos Browse 241 yorkshire ripper photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. [74][75] Wilkinson's murder had initially been considered as a possible "Ripper" killing, but this was quickly ruled out as she was not a prostitute. In April 1979, Sutcliffe killed Josephine Whittaker, a 19-year-old bank clerk. That month, Sutcliffe killed Yvonne Pearson, a 21-year-old prostitute from Bradford. He succumbed to Covid-19 after refusing treatment. The sections "Description of suspects, photofits and other assaults" and parts of the section on Sutcliffe's "immediate associates" were not disclosed by the Home Office. In addition, a 1982 government inquiry noted, "We feel it is highly improbable that the crimes in respect of which Sutcliffe has been charged and convicted are the only ones attributable to him." Peter Sutcliffe, Yorkshire Ripper, dies aged 74 - The [31] In dire financial straits, Jackson had been persuaded by her husband to engage in prostitution, using the van of their family roofing business. [138], On 26 August 2016, the police investigation was the subject of BBC Radio 4's The Reunion. In October 2020, it was announced that ITV was to produce a new six-part drama series about the Ripper. The 5 note, hidden in a secret compartment in Jordan's handbag, was traced to branches of the Midland Bank in Shipley and Bingley. The visit led to front-page tabloid headlines. In these brutal crimes victims were often battered with a hammer, as well as being stabbed and mutilated with a knife or sharpened screwdriver. Wearing red trousers, a beige coat and cap, the monster looked a world away from the smirking killer who slaughtered 13 in a murderous rampage. Birdsall visited Bradford police station the day after sending the letter to repeat his suspicions about Sutcliffe. [86][87] A list was compiled of around sixty murders and attempted murders. In December 2020, Netflix released a four-part documentary entitled The Ripper, which recounts the police investigation into the murders with interviews from living victims, family members of victims and police officers involved in the investigation. This man as [sic] dealings with prostitutes and always had a thing about them His name and address is Peter Sutcliffe, 5 [sic] Garden Lane, Heaton, Bradford Clarkes [sic] Trans. [78] Yallop continued to put forth the theory that Sutcliffe was the real killer. I hasten to add that I feel sure that the senior police officers in the areas concerned are also mindful of this possibility but, in order to ensure full account is taken of all the information available, I have arranged for an effective liaison to take place.[69]. In 1992, he reportedly confessed to striking a 14-year-old girl with a hammer in August 1975. [86], Another noteworthy case was the April 1977 murder of 18-year-old Debbie Schlessinger, who was killed as she walked home one evening in Leeds after a night out. WebPeter Sutcliffe the Yorkshire ripper handcuffed leaving court msi January 5th 1981 A 35-year-old lorry driver from Bradford, suspected of carrying Police searching the ground History of notorious killer who brutally murdered 13women", "How police caught Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe in Sheffield 37years ago this week", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe victims", "Looking back: The Yorkshire Ripper investigation", "Restoring reputations of Yorkshire Ripper's victims after decades of victim-blaming", "Yorkshire Ripper serial killer Peter Sutcliffe dies", "Women who survived Sutcliffe's attacks also had to survive institutional sexism", "The Yorkshire Ripper was not a 'prostitute killer' now his forgotten victims need justice", "Daughter of Ripper victim kills herself", "Yorkshire Ripper: Who were serial killer Peter Sutcliffe's victims? Over the next day, he calmly described his many attacks. [113], Sutcliffe's father died in 2004 and was cremated. [26] She later said, "I've been afraid to go out much because I feel people are staring and pointing at me. Police bought into the hoax even as some survivors informed authorities that their assailant had spoken with a Yorkshire accent. Police also dismissed some victims who didn't fit into their "prostitute killer" profile. [128][129], In 2017, West Yorkshire Police launched Operation Painthall to determine if Sutcliffe was guilty of unsolved crimes dating back to 1964. [78] Even though his confession failed to include any details of the murder, and Ripper detective Jim Hobson testified at trial that he did not find the confession credible, Steel was narrowly convicted. McCann was a sex worker, and Sutcliffe later confessed to the police, "After that first time, I developed and played up a hatred for prostitutes in order to justify within myself a reason why I had attacked and killed Wilma McCann." Published: Dec 14, That indicates your mental state and that you are in urgent need of medical attention. Although broadcast over two weeks, two episodes were shown consecutively each week. On 6 April 1991, Sutcliffe's father, John Sutcliffe, talked about his son on the television discussion programme After Dark. He became a trusted employee and remained in the position during his killing spree. View our online Press Pack. Over three months the police interviewed 5,000 men, including Sutcliffe. [86][90] There were also two men on Hellawell's list of possible victims. The sleeves had been pulled over his legs and the V-neck exposed his genital area. [84] The book was later adapted into a two-part ITV documentary series of the same name, which featured both Clark and Tate. [89], One of the cases investigated was an attack on Bradford student teacher Gloria Wood in November 1974, in which Wood was attacked as she walked home one evening by a man who had asked if she needed help carrying her bags. Sutcliffe was accompanied by four members of the hospital staff. Despite being found sane at his trial, Sutcliffe was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. In 1984, a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia saw Sutcliffe removed from prison and sent to Broadmoor Hospital, a secure psychiatric facility. Tyre tracks found at the scene matched those from an earlier attack. THIS was the last-ever sighting of the Yorkshire Ripper as he was taken to hospital for an eye operation. They were snapped as the Ripper was taken for tests as part of a series of treatments that cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds. [12], Reportedly a loner, Sutcliffe left school at age 15 and had a series of menial jobs, including two stints as a gravedigger in the 1960s. [118] The court decided that Sutcliffe would never be released. In February 1975, he took redundancy and used half of the 400 pay-off to train as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver. Her body was found three days later beneath railway arches in Garrards timber-yard, to which he had driven her. From 1975 through 1980, Sutcliffe committed at least 13 murders and seven other brutal assaults on women in northern England. [125] On 9 March 2011, the Court of Appeal rejected Sutcliffe's application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. [27] A witness misidentified the make of Sutcliffe's car, resulting in more than 300 police officers checking thousands of cars without success. [38], The police discontinued the search for the person who received the 5 note in January 1978. He was unemployed until October 1976, when he found a job as an HGV driver for T. & W.H. 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. Sutcliffe was not convicted of the attack but confessed in 1992. [124] The appeal was rejected on 14 January 2011. Sutcliffe was interviewed by the police nine times prior to his arrest. The hoaxer, dubbed "Wearside Jack", sent two letters to police and the Daily Mirror in March 1978 boasting of his crimes. After he was captured and behind bars, Sutcliffe began using his mother's maiden name and going by Peter William Coonan. However, no additional charges were ever filed against Sutcliffe. It was one of the largest investigations by a British police force[55] and predated the use of computers. 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. [34]:190[35] The following month, Sutcliffe assaulted Maureen Long in Bradford, but was interrupted and left her for dead. [12], Sutcliffe met Sonia Szurma on 14 February 1967; they married on 10 August 1974. [32] Sutcliffe hit her on the head with a hammer, dragged her body into a rubbish-strewn yard, then used a sharpened screwdriver to stab her in the neck, chest and abdomen. He left this position when he was asked to go on the road as a salesman. [6] Since his conviction in 1981 Sutcliffe has been linked to a number of other unsolved murders and attacks. [2]:63, After leaving Baird Television, Sutcliffe worked nightshifts at the Britannia Works of Anderton International from April 1973. [92] Mayo was already ruled out as a Sutcliffe victim by police in 1997, and the DNA sample in her case has not been linked by police to that of Weedon or Stratford, showing the murders were committed by different people. The trial proper was set to commence on 5 May 1981. [65], The Inspector of Constabulary Lawrence Byford's 1981 report of an official inquiry into the Ripper case[69] was not released by the Home Office until 1 June 2006. Peter Sutcliffe, Murderer Known as the Yorkshire Ripper, Sutcliffe experienced numerous assaults while in custody. After leaving school Sutcliffe took on several different jobs, including at a factory and a mill. [63], In response to the police reaction to the murders, the Leeds Revolutionary Feminist Group organised a number of 'Reclaim the Night' marches. [23], Sutcliffe's first documented assault was of a female prostitute, whom he had met while searching for another woman who had tricked him out of money. [52] The jury rejected the evidence of four psychiatrists who gave testimony that Sutcliffe had paranoid schizophrenia, possibly influenced by the evidence of a prison officer who heard him say to his wife that if he convinced people he was mad then he might get ten years in a "loony bin". West Yorkshire Police faced heavy and sustained criticism for their failure to catch him despite having interviewed him nine times in the course of their five-year investigation. [9], Sutcliffe was known to be acquaintances with Wilkinson, and was known to have argued violently with Wilkinson's stepfather over his advances towards her. 1". [135], The song "Night Shift" by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees on their 1981 album Juju is about Sutcliffe.[136]. One issue with the investigation was the sheer quantity of information. The Sun Following his conviction and incarceration, Sutcliffe chose to use the name Coonan, his mother's maiden name. [121], Psychological reports describing Sutcliffe's mental state were taken into consideration, as was the severity of his crimes. Harrison's murder had been linked to the Ripper killings by the "Wearside Jack" claim, but in 2011 DNA evidence revealed the crime had actually been committed by convicted sex offender Christopher Smith, who had died in 2008. Web236 Peter Sutcliffe Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports [81] Furthermore, earlier on the day as Wilkinson's murder, Sutcliffe had gone back to mutilate Jordan's body before returning to Bradford, showing he had already gone out to attack victims that day and would have been in Bradford to attack Wilkinson after he returned from mutilating Jordan. [126], In December 2015, Sutcliffe was assessed as being "no longer mentally ill". This included interviews with some of the victims, their family, police and journalists who covered the case. At Dewsbury, Sutcliffe was questioned in relation to the Ripper case as he matched many of the known physical characteristics. [13] Because of this occupation, he developed a macabre sense of humour. For other inquiries, Contact Us. [57], The choice of Oldfield to lead the inquiry was criticised by Byford: "The temptation to appoint a 'senior man' on age or service grounds should be resisted. [19], Sutcliffe is also known to have attacked eleven other women:[20] a woman of unknown name (Bradford 1969), Anna Rogulskyj (Keighley 1975), Olive Smelt (Halifax 1975), Tracy Browne (Silsden 1975), Marcella Claxton (Leeds 1976), Maureen Long (Bradford 1977) Marilyn Moore (Leeds 1977), Ann Rooney (Leeds 1979)[21] Upadhya Bandara (Leeds 1980), Mo Lea (Leeds 1980) and Theresa Sykes (Huddersfield 1980). He had a number of underlying health problems, including obesity and diabetes. [23][133][19][134] A private funeral ceremony was held, and Sutcliffe's body was cremated. The play was produced by New Diorama.[142]. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He became a grave digger in 1964, which led to a part-time job at a local morgue. Sutcliffe said he had followed a prostitute into a garage and hit her over the head with a stone in a sock. 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). 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. [53] After his trial, Sutcliffe admitted two other attacks. The accent on the hoax recording led to authorities searching for suspects outside of Yorkshire (Sutcliffe had a Yorkshire accent). 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. [5] The report led to changes to investigative procedures that were adopted across UK police forces. [13] The resulting photofit bore a strong resemblance to Sutcliffe, as had those from other survivors, and Moore provided a good description of Sutcliffe's car, which had been seen in red light areas. Sutcliffe has one other confirmed victim in 1969 he used a sock with a stone in it to strike a woman; she survived but declined to press charges. The serial killer, who was not handcuffed, looked carefree as he shared a joke with security guards. I sometimes wish I had died in the attack. Sutcliffe picked up Jackson, who was soliciting outside the Gaiety pub on Roundhay Road, then drove about half a mile to some derelict buildings on Enfield Terrace in the Manor Industrial Estate. This change in victim profile resulted in national press attention, and soon the media was using the name the "Yorkshire Ripper" to describe the killer. The series was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Serial at the 2001 awards. [75], Yallop highlighted that Steel had always protested his innocence and been convicted on weak evidence. The guards were chatting to him casually.. It resulted in Sutcliffe being at liberty for more than a month when he might conceivably have been in custody. During his imprisonment, Sutcliffe was noted to show "particular anxiety" at mentions of Wilkinson due to the possible unsoundness of Steel's conviction. Ripper victim's son told photo of mum [127] In August 2016, a medical tribunal ruled that he no longer required clinical treatment for his mental condition, and could be returned to prison. [92], In 2007 a man was tried for the murder of Elizabeth McCabe after a 1 in 40 million DNA match was found between his DNA and samples found on the victim's clothing, but he was found not guilty by a majority verdict at the conclusion of the trial. The search for Sutcliffe was one of the largest and most expensive manhunts in British history. Sutcliffe was born on June 2, 1946, in Bingley, West Yorkshire, England, to John and Kathleen Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe flung himself backwards and the blade missed his right eye, stabbing him in the cheek. [30], Sutcliffe committed his next murder in Leeds on 20 January 1976, when he stabbed 42-year-old Emily Jackson fifty-two times. The first woman Sutcliffe is known to have killed was 28-year-old Wilma McCann in October 1975. In 1977, Sutcliffe took the lives of four women: 28-year-old Irene Richardson in February; 32-year-old Patricia Atkinson in April; 16-year-old Jayne MacDonald in June; and 21-year-old Jean Jordan in October. This inquiry also looked at the killings of two prostitutes in southern Sweden in 1980. Peter Sutcliffe Photos and Premium High Res Pictures The notorious British serial killer, Peter Sutcliffe died from COVID-19 in prison this month. [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]. According to one police detective, "mass hysteria" ensued because more women felt threatened; Whittaker, who'd been killed while walking home, was seen as a "respectable" woman. I see you're having no luck catching me. Police visited Sutcliffe's home the next day, as the woman he had attacked had noted Birdsall's vehicle registration plate. ", Yet Sutcliffe's plea of diminished responsibility, which could have resulted in a lighter sentence, wasn't successful. Peter Sutcliffe, who later used the name Peter Coonan, was jailed for a whole life term in 1981 after murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven more. On 9 October, Jordan's body was discovered by local dairy worker and future actor Bruce Jones,[36] who had an allotment on land adjoining the site and was searching for house bricks when he made the discovery. [8] Kathleen was a Roman Catholic and John was a member of the choir at the local Anglican church of St Wilfred's; their children were raised in their mother's Catholic faith, and Sutcliffe briefly served as an altar boy. [105] These cases did not feature in the 2022 documentary version of Clark's book. The urge inside me to kill girls was now practically uncontrollable. The tape contained a man's voice saying, "I'm Jack. 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. He left school in 1961, when he was 15. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The Mystery Novelist Who Committed a Real Murder, Boston Marathon Bombings Survivors, 10 Years Later, A Complete Timeline of Adnan Syeds Trial, Release. Following Sutcliffe's death in 2020, a police constable issued an apology "for the additional distress and anxiety caused to all relatives by the language, tone and terminology used by senior officers at the time in relation to Peter Sutcliffe's victims. [91][93] The murder of teenager Mary Gallagher in Glasgow in 1978 was also believed to be included on Hellawell's list of possible victims, and he was said to be taking that case "very seriously". [2]:30, Sutcliffe attacked 20-year-old Marcella Claxton in Roundhay Park, Leeds, on 9 May. [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. I went back to the car and got in it".[24]. No action was taken when a friend sent the police an anonymous letter denouncing Sutcliffe. His parents were John William Sutcliffe and his wife Kathleen Frances (ne Coonan), a native of Connemara. A report by the Sutcliffe took two more lives in 1980: civil servant Marguerite Walls, 47, in August and 20-year-old Jacqueline Hill, a student, in November. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, 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, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). [69], Birdsall's letter was marked "Priority No. Peter William Sutcliffe (2June 1946 13November 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. "Bastard prostitutes who were littering the streets. As The "Wearside Jack" hoaxer was given unusual credibility when analysis of saliva on the envelopes he sent showed he had the same blood group as that which Sutcliffe had left at crime scenes, a type shared by only 6% of the population. Peter Sutcliffe - Yorkshire Ripper, Wife & Death - Biography Sutcliffe was transferred from prison to Broadmoor Hospital in March 1984 after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Their father would also whip his children with a belt. When she got out of the car to urinate, he hit her from behind with a hammer. [104] Derbyshire Constabulary dismissed the theory, pointing to the fact that a reinvestigation in 2002 had found only that Downing couldn't be ruled out of the investigation and stating that there was no evidence linking Sutcliffe to the crime. Peter Sutcliffe was snapped looking bloated when he was seen in public for the first time since he was jailed in 1981. The hoaxer case was re-opened in 2005, and DNA taken from envelopes was entered into the national database. 241 Yorkshire Ripper Premium High Res Photos - Getty [28], On 27 August, Sutcliffe targeted 14-year-old Tracy Browne in Silsden, attacking her from behind and hitting her on the head five times while she was walking along a country lane. (The death penalty was not an option, having been abolished in 1965.). [64], After Sutcliffe's death in November 2020, West Yorkshire Police issued an apology for the "language, tone, and terminology" used by the force at the time of the original investigation, nine months after one of the victims' sons wrote on behalf of several of the victims' families.[65]. The findings were made fully public in 2006, and confirmed the validity of the criticism of the force. He was sentenced to twenty concurrent sentences of life imprisonment, which were co He left his friend Trevor Birdsall's minivan and walked up St. Paul's Road in Bradford until he was out of sight. He then disarranged her clothing and slashed her lower back with a knife. Sue MacGregor discussed the investigation with John Domaille, who later became assistant chief constable of West Yorkshire Police; Andy Laptew, who was a junior detective who interviewed Sutcliffe; Elaine Benson, who worked in the incident room and interviewed suspects; David Zackrisson, who investigated the "Wearside Jack" tape and letters in Sunderland; and Christa Ackroyd, a local journalist in Halifax. The group and other feminists had criticised the police for victim-blaming, especially for the suggestion that women should remain indoors at night. On 16 July 2010, the High Court issued Sutcliffe with a whole life tariff, meaning he was never to be released. The last six attacks were on totally respectable women." "I was shocked he was not handcuffed considering who he is. Sutcliffe struck the back of her skull twice with a hammer, then inflicted "a stab wound to the throat; two stab wounds below the right breast; three stab wounds below the left breast and a series of nine stab wounds around the umbilicus". [92] Sutcliffe was also linked to the 1975 murder of Lesley Molseed after a man was found to have been wrongly imprisoned for the crime in 1992, but Ronald Castree was convicted of her murder after a DNA match in 2007. Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of unsolved murders in the United Kingdom (1970s), World's End murders of Helen Scott and Christine Eadie, This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, List of serial killers in the United Kingdom, List of serial killers by number of victims, "The Yorkshire Ripper files: Why Chapeltown in Leeds was the 'hunting ground' of Peter Sutcliffe", "The Yorkshire Ripper files review a stunningly mishandled manhunt", "Sir Lawrence Byford: Yorkshire Ripper report author dies", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe 'was never mentally ill' claims detective who hunted him", "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe's brother describes disturbing childhood growing up with notorious serial killer", "Who is the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe? He bragged to friends about robbing bodies at the morgue. The prosecution intended to accept his plea after four psychiatrists diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia, but the trial judge, Justice Sir Leslie Boreham, demanded an unusually detailed explanation of the prosecution's reasoning. [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. Following his hospital stay he reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 but refused treatment. Sutcliffe's wife obtained a separation around 1989 and a divorce in July 1994. [119][120] Mr Justice Mitting stated: This was a campaign of murder which terrorised the population of a large part of Yorkshire for several years.