Bradford. The name usually brought up mental images of a city full of different cultures, most particularly, Asian. What is not generally known, is that the first influx of people from the continent, were refugees from the Soviet Union. This happened during the 1950`s. So having such a completely diverse mix of cultures, it is inevitable that the dark side of these cultures emerges. Prostitution, a profession once culturally controlled by West Indians, is now controlled by Asians. This change is not widely known outside Bradford, as people still believed West Indians were the principal pimps, alongside their long history of involvement in drugs. This I know through where I come from, Ellesmere Port, as numerous people I knew, thought that all pimps were West Indians. Asians are very prominent in the drugs trade, very prominent.
Yet when we look at the murderous side of Bradford, the most infamous are white. The most infamous is Peter Sutcliffe, the Ripper, hailing from the Heaton area. Suffice to say, much has been written about him, so we will by-pass him. We then had "The Black Panther," multiple murderer and kidnapper, Donald Neilson. He hailed from the Thornbury district, and carried out numerous burglaries and armed robberies, always alone. He brutally shot dead three sub-postmasters during botched raids, during the night, holding them at gunpoint, in their homes above the shops. In one attack, he cold-bloodedly shot one dead, and then almost beat his victims` wife to death with his gun. He then kidnapped a teenage girl, Lesley Whittle, and murdered her when his plans went wrong.
Next on the list is murderer and kidnapper Michael Sams. He hailed from Keighley, just outside Bradford. He murdered a prostitute that he kidnapped, Julie Dart, then kidnapped an estate agent, Stephanie Slater, who survived. Sams had tried some extortion demands, at first, against British Rail, by threatening to derail passenger trains. This failed, so he resorted to kidnapping, ultimately leading to murder and his eventual downfall.
Over the last couple of years, we have had two notorious cases. One is the so-called "Crossbow Cannibal" Stephen Griffiths. He murdered and dismembered three prostitutes, and is thought to have consumed part of one of his victims. His last killing, he carried out in full view of CCTV, doing nothing to hide his identity. Griffiths was an obvious narcissist, wanting his piece of "fame." Up next, is probably the oldest convicted killer to be given a whole life tariff. Ernest Wright was a criminal originally from the Shipley district. He had already served a very long sentence for a gruesome murder in 1971(roundabout), down south. His murder here, was a brutal shotgun killing of a gay man, and the attempted murder of his partner. The Police launched a manhunt, and arrested him. They quickly disproved the alibi he had carefully constructed for himself. Despite his age, 68, the Judge stated that he was far too dangerous to be ever released, and imposed a whole life sentence.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Psychic Detectives PT2
Continuing my theme on what I call con-artists, is the case of the New York Zodiac. This was a man called Heriberto Seda. Seda had an unhealthy obsession with serial killers such as Ted Bundy and the San Francisco Zodiac. He had a well-thumbed book on the Zodiac by Robert Graysmith, a book regarded by some as the "definitive " book on the killer. Well, this had drawn laughter in many quarters, as it has been shown that Graysmith used half-truths, rumours, innuendo and allegedly out-and -out lies to point the finger at the man, Arthur Allen. There has not been one shred of evidence to indicate Allen was the killer, a claim Allen angrily denied right up to his death.
One episode of Psychic Detectives claimed that Noreen Ranier helped solve the mystery of the NY Zodiac. If you read all you can on the internet about the NY Zodiac, you will not see anything about her alleged role in helping the NYPD apprehend Seda. What is mentioned is that publicity hungry psychics were offering their assistance to the Police. Good Police work brought this killer to justice, not some conwoman claiming her "gifts" helped.
One episode of Psychic Detectives claimed that Noreen Ranier helped solve the mystery of the NY Zodiac. If you read all you can on the internet about the NY Zodiac, you will not see anything about her alleged role in helping the NYPD apprehend Seda. What is mentioned is that publicity hungry psychics were offering their assistance to the Police. Good Police work brought this killer to justice, not some conwoman claiming her "gifts" helped.
Psychic Detectives
A popular show from Court TV is Psychic Detectives, in which it is claimed that so-called psychics have helped the Police in the States "Solve hundreds of cases." It is remarkable that these people seem to solve many more cases than the BAU in the TV series "Criminal Minds" The current superstars of this genre are Noreen Ranier, Phil Jordan and Carol Pate. It is amazing that their names do not appear in the case files, telling all how they were able to use their "special powers" to crack the case. One case in particular is Florida serial killer David Gore. Caught by diligent Police work, it was later claimed that Phil Jordan helped bring it to a conclusion. Strange, how in a documentary giving a thorough rundown on how Gore was apprehended, there was no mention of a psychic "being consulted."
It is also claimed that Ranier had given a lecture at the FBI Academy. I do not know if this is true, but I would have thought that the Bureau, which provides all the best training, all the best facilities, would give the time of day to an alleged psychic. One claim made by these people in the States and here in the UK, is that they have helped the Police in "hundreds of cases." The Police here certainly do not corroborate these claims and usually treat these with disdain.
The best site to truly understand these people was "Bad Psychics" but unfortunately the site host has shut it down, due to constant abuse and indeed death threats, from these people who prey upon the lonely, bereaved and vulnerable. This man was costing them money, because it taught the unsuspecting what the game is all about, and the tricks they use to fool and con the public out of money.
It is also claimed that Ranier had given a lecture at the FBI Academy. I do not know if this is true, but I would have thought that the Bureau, which provides all the best training, all the best facilities, would give the time of day to an alleged psychic. One claim made by these people in the States and here in the UK, is that they have helped the Police in "hundreds of cases." The Police here certainly do not corroborate these claims and usually treat these with disdain.
The best site to truly understand these people was "Bad Psychics" but unfortunately the site host has shut it down, due to constant abuse and indeed death threats, from these people who prey upon the lonely, bereaved and vulnerable. This man was costing them money, because it taught the unsuspecting what the game is all about, and the tricks they use to fool and con the public out of money.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
The Savile Affair
Everyday brings an apparent new "revelation" about the actions of one Jimmy Saville. It seems that he did face a number of probes into allegations about his behaviour, but they never went any further. Allegations were made in the media that Saville paid off Police to drop their investigations. He certainly had the money to do that. Then came the usual garbage that "He was too powerful to touch."
This is the line spouted about people like celebrities, or criminals like The Krays. The reason, I believe, that it was said that The Krays "were too powerful" was the protection they received from bent Police and politicians like Boothby and Driberg. It is very fanciful to make somebody "above the law" when they are paying people to protect their interests, and it really shows just "how powerful" they were. If no Police were on the payroll, how long would they have been at liberty? No tip-offs, no warnings, no taking villains off the streets with unimpeachable information, they being constantly under surveillance and raided often. It is amazing what conclusions you can come to, when you take off the rose-tinted glasses!
Now we have PR bullshit merchant Max Clifford, claiming celebrities are flocking to him, afraid of being "caught up" in the Saville scandal. Hmmm! Seems like a whole lot of guilty consciences. "How can you expect them to remember things they did forty years ago?" Well, if they cannot "remember what they did forty years ago" how do they know they were screwing underage girls? What was allegedly acceptable all those years back, is certainly not now, hence the panic. Scared celebrities? At the end of the day, the law is the law, no matter who you are.
This is the line spouted about people like celebrities, or criminals like The Krays. The reason, I believe, that it was said that The Krays "were too powerful" was the protection they received from bent Police and politicians like Boothby and Driberg. It is very fanciful to make somebody "above the law" when they are paying people to protect their interests, and it really shows just "how powerful" they were. If no Police were on the payroll, how long would they have been at liberty? No tip-offs, no warnings, no taking villains off the streets with unimpeachable information, they being constantly under surveillance and raided often. It is amazing what conclusions you can come to, when you take off the rose-tinted glasses!
Now we have PR bullshit merchant Max Clifford, claiming celebrities are flocking to him, afraid of being "caught up" in the Saville scandal. Hmmm! Seems like a whole lot of guilty consciences. "How can you expect them to remember things they did forty years ago?" Well, if they cannot "remember what they did forty years ago" how do they know they were screwing underage girls? What was allegedly acceptable all those years back, is certainly not now, hence the panic. Scared celebrities? At the end of the day, the law is the law, no matter who you are.
Monday, 29 October 2012
A Dead Genre
One area of crime that has virtually bitten the dust, and that has been the the "Criminal Autobiography." Back in the beginning of the millennium numerous books appeared on the market with various former villains "Telling All" of their supposed prolific careers of crime. Many hit on the same formula, i.e. they were major players in the underworld, they never lost a fight, they never grassed on anybody, hated bullies, and showed nothing but the highest respect for women and children. Ad Nauseum.
A frequent feature was the disagreement with everybody else`s tales of events. Some of these books were nothing but out and out lies. The king of these is Dave Courtney, a man who needs publicity like oxygen, and has plenty of morons ready to swallow all the bullshit he spouts. It was claimed to me that Courtney has made mega-bucks for his publisher, Virgin. The fact is that these books do not have great sales figures, and a number of Courtney's ` have bombed. The last one I seen on the market, it ended up being sold off to the cheap book shop chains, such as "The Works" So much for a "Mega-seller!" The truth is, books sold in the supermarkets at less than half price, usually paperbacks, have exceeded sales predictions and have gone into profit for the publisher, so they can off-load them cheaply. With hardbacks, there is usually discount agreements between the supermarkets and publishers. With "The Works" and other shops like "County Books" these get the very poor sellers that publishers and distributors can get rid of, even for a very small amount, and saves them having loads pulped for no returns.
The market had dropped out some years ago, and the publishing companies, by and large, were simply not interested. It no longer works that somebody claims he was an associate of The Krays, as they are regarded in a lot of circles as old hat, and many people simply are not interested in them anymore. The occasional tome breaks through such as "Bringing Down The Krays," a tale I regard as being more than it was. My opinion!
A couple of years back, I was put forward as a possible candidate to "Ghost" a memoir of a former London villain. The man originally approached, turned it down and put my name forward to the man who was acting as a go-between for the villain. I was never told whom it was, though I did have a guess. The go-between would not confirm his identity to me, unfortunately. I was also sent a rough copy of part of a manuscript about a guy smuggling drugs in the States. It seemed that he was in jail over here, and his story was being handled by a firm of solicitors, whom knocked me back when I made some inquiries.
A frequent feature was the disagreement with everybody else`s tales of events. Some of these books were nothing but out and out lies. The king of these is Dave Courtney, a man who needs publicity like oxygen, and has plenty of morons ready to swallow all the bullshit he spouts. It was claimed to me that Courtney has made mega-bucks for his publisher, Virgin. The fact is that these books do not have great sales figures, and a number of Courtney's ` have bombed. The last one I seen on the market, it ended up being sold off to the cheap book shop chains, such as "The Works" So much for a "Mega-seller!" The truth is, books sold in the supermarkets at less than half price, usually paperbacks, have exceeded sales predictions and have gone into profit for the publisher, so they can off-load them cheaply. With hardbacks, there is usually discount agreements between the supermarkets and publishers. With "The Works" and other shops like "County Books" these get the very poor sellers that publishers and distributors can get rid of, even for a very small amount, and saves them having loads pulped for no returns.
The market had dropped out some years ago, and the publishing companies, by and large, were simply not interested. It no longer works that somebody claims he was an associate of The Krays, as they are regarded in a lot of circles as old hat, and many people simply are not interested in them anymore. The occasional tome breaks through such as "Bringing Down The Krays," a tale I regard as being more than it was. My opinion!
A couple of years back, I was put forward as a possible candidate to "Ghost" a memoir of a former London villain. The man originally approached, turned it down and put my name forward to the man who was acting as a go-between for the villain. I was never told whom it was, though I did have a guess. The go-between would not confirm his identity to me, unfortunately. I was also sent a rough copy of part of a manuscript about a guy smuggling drugs in the States. It seemed that he was in jail over here, and his story was being handled by a firm of solicitors, whom knocked me back when I made some inquiries.
Friday, 26 October 2012
A Touch of Class
When you peruse the annals of historical crime, one thing that is clear to see is that class, for many years, played apart in British Justice. If you had plenty of money or privilege you were virtually above the law. Let us examine a couple of controversial examples. How about the trial and execution in 1922 of pantry boy Henry Jacoby. He battered to death a wealthy woman in a hotel where he worked. Despite his young age - 18 - and a recommendation for mercy from the Jury, he was hanged. Now, we look at the case of Ronald True. Convicted for a brutal murder in 1923, in this case, it was the JUDGE who asked for a psychiatric evaluation of True. Indeed, three psychiatrists all concluded that True was insane and therefore not responsible for his actions, and so he was committed an asylum, where not surprisingly, he was a model patient. True was the illegitimate son of an Army Officer, where the class structure was still rife. This brought accusations that laws differed for the rich and poor. True was the product of a privileged background and Jacoby was working class.
We now turn to the case of Edith Thompson, hanged in 1923 for murder, an act carried out by her lover, Fred Bywaters. Mrs Thompson did attempt to stop Bywaters killing her husband, but what did for her, was letters found in the possession of Bywaters. Certain sections were put forward as evidence, that Mrs Thompson planned the murder with her lover. What was not used by the prosecution, for obvious reasons, were the whole of the letters. Certain sections of the letters may indicate intent, but in what context was it meant? The judge in the case, certainly did not like the fact that a man of Mr Thompson s ` social standing, had a cheating wife, and cheating with a man many years younger than herself. The general consensus was that she was hanged for her morals. The letters she received from Bywaters, she destroyed, he kept hers, ultimately leading to their collected doom. Her execution was said to have been an horrific event, in which she collapsed in the Death Cell and had to be held up on the scaffold, unconscious. This in turn, had a huge effect on the hangman, Rochdale man, John Ellis, leading to his resignation. Some years later, he committed suicide.
We now turn to the case of Edith Thompson, hanged in 1923 for murder, an act carried out by her lover, Fred Bywaters. Mrs Thompson did attempt to stop Bywaters killing her husband, but what did for her, was letters found in the possession of Bywaters. Certain sections were put forward as evidence, that Mrs Thompson planned the murder with her lover. What was not used by the prosecution, for obvious reasons, were the whole of the letters. Certain sections of the letters may indicate intent, but in what context was it meant? The judge in the case, certainly did not like the fact that a man of Mr Thompson s ` social standing, had a cheating wife, and cheating with a man many years younger than herself. The general consensus was that she was hanged for her morals. The letters she received from Bywaters, she destroyed, he kept hers, ultimately leading to their collected doom. Her execution was said to have been an horrific event, in which she collapsed in the Death Cell and had to be held up on the scaffold, unconscious. This in turn, had a huge effect on the hangman, Rochdale man, John Ellis, leading to his resignation. Some years later, he committed suicide.
Serial Killers
I am coming to the conclusion that the accepted method of profiling, whether it is the American or the British way, has kept the blinkers on when it comes to the Serial Killer. The FBI conducted a series of interviews with thirty six serial murders and rapists, asking about how and why they did their crimes, the MO they used, basically, everything to do with the crime. The British way is different, but I believe whatever method is used, the ultimate aim is to catch the perpetrator. Geographical Profiling is also used, in which all facts relating to the location of the crimes, says something about the unsub.
It has emerged that in the case of "The Night Stalker" the Police never considered that the violent and depraved sexual attacks and murders, were NOT the work of a serial killer. Richard Ramirez, the killer, did not fit the profile of a serial offender, as he used different methods of attack, breaking & entering, and what he put his victims through. Have people not come to a very real conclusion that killers do not have to stick to a particular MO? My belief that the "signature" in Ramirez`s crimes, was the sheer sexual violence he inflicted. I also do not believe in the adage that these killers have "an urge" to kill. My belief is that they have a "desire" which is completely different, and a desire is easier to control and conceal than an "urge" which could expose unsound actions and/or body language, leading to awkward questions. An example was an attack carried out by Sutcliffe, in Halifax, when he was with Trevor Birdsall. He asked him to stop the car so he could go for a piss. Whilst he was out of sight, he attacked a woman. Was this a man driven by rage, or an overwhelming urge to attack, or a man using an opportunity that presented itself. A lone woman walking and nobody around. Of course it was "The Voices" in his head, ordering him to carry out the attack!
A killer will not commit all his offences to a strict pattern. Some will use whatever means that come to them, and as in the case of Jessie Earl, a bra works as a convenient bond. Killers will use anything that comes to hand, but to say that certain aspects must fit a particular killer, otherwise he is not guilty,I feel, is absurd. Another example is the unsolved disappearance in 1969 of April Fabb, in Norfolk. She disappeared in a country lane and her bicycle lay on a grass verge, just off the road. This fitted the MO of notorious child killer Robert Black, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Genette Tate in 1978. It is difficult to place Black in Norfolk at that time, but that does NOT mean he is innocent. A lot more research into Black needs undertaking.
It has emerged that in the case of "The Night Stalker" the Police never considered that the violent and depraved sexual attacks and murders, were NOT the work of a serial killer. Richard Ramirez, the killer, did not fit the profile of a serial offender, as he used different methods of attack, breaking & entering, and what he put his victims through. Have people not come to a very real conclusion that killers do not have to stick to a particular MO? My belief that the "signature" in Ramirez`s crimes, was the sheer sexual violence he inflicted. I also do not believe in the adage that these killers have "an urge" to kill. My belief is that they have a "desire" which is completely different, and a desire is easier to control and conceal than an "urge" which could expose unsound actions and/or body language, leading to awkward questions. An example was an attack carried out by Sutcliffe, in Halifax, when he was with Trevor Birdsall. He asked him to stop the car so he could go for a piss. Whilst he was out of sight, he attacked a woman. Was this a man driven by rage, or an overwhelming urge to attack, or a man using an opportunity that presented itself. A lone woman walking and nobody around. Of course it was "The Voices" in his head, ordering him to carry out the attack!
A killer will not commit all his offences to a strict pattern. Some will use whatever means that come to them, and as in the case of Jessie Earl, a bra works as a convenient bond. Killers will use anything that comes to hand, but to say that certain aspects must fit a particular killer, otherwise he is not guilty,I feel, is absurd. Another example is the unsolved disappearance in 1969 of April Fabb, in Norfolk. She disappeared in a country lane and her bicycle lay on a grass verge, just off the road. This fitted the MO of notorious child killer Robert Black, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Genette Tate in 1978. It is difficult to place Black in Norfolk at that time, but that does NOT mean he is innocent. A lot more research into Black needs undertaking.
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