- Bradford murders
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For the murders which took place in and near Bradford between 1975-1980, see Peter Sutcliffe.
Stephen Griffiths Background information Birth name Stephen Shaun Griffiths Also known as The Crossbow Cannibal Born 24 December 1969
Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, EnglandConviction Murder Sentence Life imprisonment Killings Number of victims: 3-14+ Span of killings 22 June 2009–21 May 2010 Country England Date apprehended 24 May 2010 The Bradford murders were three serial killings of female sex workers from the northern English city of Bradford in 2009 and 2010.
43-year-old Susan Rushworth disappeared on 22 June 2009, followed by 31-year-old Shelley Armitage on 26 April 2010 and 36-year-old Suzanne Blamires on 21 May of the same year.[1]
Stephen Shaun Griffiths, 40, was arrested on 24 May and subsequently charged with killing the three women.[2]
Parts of Blamires's body were found in the River Aire in Shipley, near Bradford, on 25 May. Other human tissue found in the same river was later established to belong to Armitage.[3]
No remains of Rushworth have been found.[4]
Conviction of Stephen Griffiths
Stephen Shaun[5] Griffiths, born on 24 December 1969 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was arrested and in May 2010 he appeared in the magistrates' court giving his name as "The Crossbow Cannibal".[6][7][8] At a crown court appearance that afternoon he was remanded in custody until his next court appearance.[6] He made a second appearance at crown court on 7 June via a video link from Wakefield Prison where a trial date of 16 November 2010 was set.[9]
While in custody, Griffiths has attempted to commit suicide on four occasions.[10]
On 21 December 2010 Griffiths was convicted of all three murders after pleading guilty. He was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole.[11]
Post trial statements
Griffiths' criminal history included a 3-year sentence, when aged 17, for an unprovoked knife attack on a supermarket manager.[12] Whilst in custody he stated that he saw himself becoming a murderer, and psychiatrists warned that he fantasised about becoming a serial killer.[12] In 1991 he was diagnosed as a "schizoid psychopath" and the following year received a 2-year prison sentence for holding a knife to the throat of a girl.[12]
Police had been watching Griffiths for two years before he killed his victims and had already seized hunting weapons.[13] They [the police] contacted the housing association which owns the flat in which Griffiths lived after Griffiths was observed reading books on dismemberment.[13] The housing association shared the police's concerns and fitted a better CCTV system in anticipation of an incident. At the time of the murders, police had no evidence for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order.[13]
References
- ^ "Bradford murders timeline". London: The Guardian. 27 May 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/27/bradford-murders-timeline. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
- ^ "Stephen Griffiths charged with murder of three prostitutes – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph (London). 27 May 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7772863/Stephen-Griffiths-charged-with-murder-of-three-prostitutes.html. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Trial date set for Bradford accused". Press Association. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hGofxG7u8ULMTeoSRsIVRCrs7CKw. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
- ^ "Vigil for Bradford deaths women". BBC. 11 June 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford_and_west_yorkshire/10295310.stm. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
- ^ Biggs, Alan; Boffey, Daniel (30 May 2010). "Grinning shyly at his mother¿s side, the boy who now calls himself The Crossbow Cannibal – Mail Online". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1282583/Grinning-shyly-mother-s-boy-calls-Crossbow-Cannibal.html. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Bradford Prostitute Murders: Stephen Griffiths In Court After Being Charged With Three Killings – UK News – Sky News". http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Bradford-Prostitute-Murders-Stephen-Griffiths-In-Court-After-Being-Charged-With-Three-Killings/Article/201005415639724?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15639724_Bradford_Prostitute_Murders:_Stephen_Griffiths_In_Court_After_Being_Charged_With_Three_Killings. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Bradford accused gives name as 'crossbow cannibal'". BBC News Online (BBC). 28 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10179073.stm. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "I am the crossbow cannibal, says Bradford murders suspect Stephen Griffiths – Metro.co.uk". http://www.metro.co.uk/news/828275-i-am-the-crossbow-cannibal-says-prostitute-murders-suspect. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Bradford women deaths trial date fixed". BBC News Online (BBC). 7 June 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford_and_west_yorkshire/10254456.stm. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
- ^ Carter, Helen (21 December 2010). "Stephen Griffiths: the self-styled demon who drew inspiration from serial killers". guardian.co.uk (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/21/stephen-griffiths-crossbow-cannibal-profile. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ "Crossbow Cannibal given life term for Bradford murders". BBC. 21 December 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bradford-west-yorkshire-11541168. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ a b c Philip Johnston (22 December 2010). "Crossbow Cannibal: No one is safe from the menace of pure evil". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/8219700/Crossbow-Cannibal-No-one-is-safe-from-the-menace-of-pure-evil.html. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
- ^ a b c Richard Alleyne (28 December 2010). "Crossbow Cannibal was a known 'serial killer' in the making". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8228257/Crossbow-Cannibal-was-a-known-serial-killer-in-the-making.html. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
Categories:- 2010 in England
- Crimes against sex workers
- History of Bradford
- Murder in England
- Murder in 2009
- Murder in 2010
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