Stephen Shaun Griffiths

Case overview

Stephen Shaun Griffiths was convicted after pleading guilty to killing three women in Bradford. He was sentenced to life in prison on December 21, 2010.

The case involved three serial killings of female sex workers from the northern English city of Bradford in 2009 and 2010. Susan Rushworth disappeared on 22 June 2009. Shelley Armitage disappeared on 26 April 2010. Suzanne Blamires disappeared on 21 May of the same year.

Stephen Shaun Griffiths, 40, was arrested on 24 May and subsequently charged with killing the three women.

Parts of Suzanne 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 Shelley Armitage. No remains of Susan Rushworth were found.

While in custody, Griffiths attempted to commit suicide on four occasions.

Griffiths appeared in court giving his name as "The Crossbow Cannibal". He was remanded in custody, later appeared again via a video link from Wakefield Prison, and a trial date of 16 November 2010 was set.

Timeline

• 22 June 2009 — Susan Rushworth disappeared.
• 26 April 2010 — Shelley Armitage disappeared.
• 21 May 2010 — Suzanne Blamires disappeared.
• 21 May 2010 — Suzanne Blamires was last seen alive near Sunbridge Road in the early hours.
• 22 May 2010 — Shelley Armitage was last seen alive on Rebecca Street on the night of 26 April 2010; Griffiths was filmed attacking Suzanne Blamires in the early hours of 22 May, according to CCTV described in the case reporting.
• 24 May 2010 — Stephen Shaun Griffiths was arrested.
• 25 May 2010 — Parts of Suzanne Blamires’s body were found in the River Aire in Shipley, near Bradford; a major search and recovery operation began after remains were recovered.
• 27 May 2010 — Griffiths was charged with all the murders of all three women.
• 7 June 2010 — Griffiths appeared at crown court via video link from Wakefield Prison and the trial date of 16 November 2010 was set.
• 16 November 2010 — Trial date was set for Griffiths.
• 24 December 1969 — Stephen Shaun Griffiths was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
• 21 December 2010 — Griffiths was convicted of all three murders after pleading guilty and was given a life sentence.

The offence

The murders involved three women identified as Susan Rushworth (43), Shelley Armitage (31), and Suzanne Blamires (36), all described as working as prostitutes in Bradford.

Griffiths was seen on CCTV running out of his flat after attacking Suzanne Blamires. The court heard that Ms Blamires was later seen being dragged on the floor by her leg by Griffiths, who was seen to have something in his hand. The woman was shot with a crossbow, and Griffiths "gestured" by holding a finger up to the CCTV camera. After approaching the camera, Griffiths gave the camera the finger.

The court was told that Griffiths had told officers arresting him: "I'm Osama bin Laden."

The court also heard Griffiths told police that Ms Blamires—who he knew as "Amber"—was "gone". He said he had "eaten some of her", adding "that's part of the magic".

The court was also told Griffiths possessed "disturbing video recordings and images". Evidence was presented that Ms Armitage and Ms Rushworth had bled in his flat.

Griffiths admitted murdering Ms Blamires between 20 May and 25 May. He admitted murdering Ms Rushworth between 22 June, 2009, and 25 May this year. He admitted murdering Ms Armitage between 25 April and 25 May this year.

Investigation

The investigation involved police searching DNA databases and sex offenders registers while also pursuing CCTV and other forensic leads.

A caretaker, Peter Gee, called on Monday at 1pm, distraught, and reported seeing footage from private security cameras. The footage showed a woman fleeing number 33 in the early hours of 22 May, followed by a man who grappled her to the ground, shot her twice at point-blank range through the back of the head with a crossbow, and dragged her back into the flat. Afterwards, the man approached the camera again with the crossbow held high and gave the camera the finger. Over the next few hours he was filmed emerging from the flat with black bin bags and holdalls.

Sergeant Helen Metcalfe, head of Bradford's vice squad, identified the woman as Suzanne Blamires. Detectives later found further video footage on Griffiths’s computer showing a naked, trussed-up woman in his bath with the words "My Sex Slave" spray-painted on her back. Metcalfe identified the woman as Shelley Armitage.

After parts of Ms Blamires’s body were recovered from the River Aire on 25 May, tests were carried out on body parts retrieved from the river. Some were identified as the remains of Blamires, and forensic scientists attempted to establish whether the haul included any of the remains of Armitage and Rushworth.

Arrest

Stephen Shaun Griffiths was arrested on 24 May by West Yorkshire Police after CCTV footage of him attacking Ms Blamires at his block of flats was discovered by a caretaker at the complex.

The case reporting stated that Robert Smith QC was prosecuting and that the caretaker had the job of reviewing footage from CCTV cameras. On 24 May, the caretaker saw footage showing Ms Blamires running out of Griffiths' flat followed by the defendant, with Ms Blamires later seen being dragged by her leg. Police described that the woman was shot with a crossbow before Griffiths "gestured" by holding a finger up to the CCTV camera.

Griffiths told officers arresting him: "I'm Osama bin Laden."

Once in a police station, he told officers: "I've killed a lot more than Suzanne Blamires - I've killed loads."

He also told West Yorkshire Police: "I've killed loads."

At an earlier appearance, Griffiths gave his name as "The Crossbow Cannibal".

Trial

Court appearances and remand

At a crown court appearance that afternoon, Griffiths was remanded in custody until his next court appearance.

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.

Plea and conviction

On 21 December 2010, Griffiths was convicted of all three murders after pleading guilty.

The judge, Mr Justice Openshaw, told the court that the circumstances of these murders were so wicked and monstrous that he was in no doubt the defendant should be kept in prison for the rest of his life.

The judge added that Griffiths' pleas had been entered "without any remorse at all".

Suicide attempts while in custody

Prosecuting and sentencing remarks

Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, said the caretaker had the job of reviewing CCTV footage taken from CCTV cameras. Mr Smith also stated that Griffiths had told police Ms Blamires—known as "Amber"—was "gone".

Mr Smith added that Griffiths told officers he had "eaten some of her", adding "that's part of the magic".

Sentencing

On December 21, 2010, the judge at Leeds Crown Court told 40-year-old Stephen Griffiths he would spend the rest of his life in prison. Griffiths was given a life sentence.

Appeals

No appeal information was included in the provided material.

Outcome

Griffiths was convicted of all three murders after pleading guilty and was sentenced to life in prison on December 21, 2010.

Parts of Suzanne Blamires’s body were recovered from the River Aire in Shipley near Bradford on 25 May. No remains of Susan Rushworth have been found.

Police stated that they had "no evidence at this stage" to link Griffiths to any other crimes, but they would be in contact with forces across the country to "see if anything develops".

Other details

Criminal history and psychiatric history

Griffiths's criminal history included a 3-year sentence, when aged 17, for an unprovoked knife attack on a supermarket manager.

While in custody, Griffiths stated that he saw himself becoming a murderer, and psychiatrists warned that he fantasised about becoming a serial killer.

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.

Police had been watching Griffiths for 2 years before he killed his victims and had already seized hunting weapons.

Background and identity

Griffiths was born on 24 December 1969 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

He was described as a Bradford University PhD student, researching murders in Bradford in the 19th Century as part of his thesis. The material stated that he was researching a PhD entitled Homicide In An Industrial City.

At one point in the case reporting, he appeared in the magistrates' court giving his name as "The Crossbow Cannibal". At a crown court appearance, he was remanded in custody and later appeared at court via video link from Wakefield Prison.

In police station statements, Griffiths also said: "I've killed loads." He further told officers: "I've killed a lot more than Suzanne Blamires - I've killed loads." He said: "I'm Osama bin Laden."

He also wrote and posted online under pseudonyms. Using the pseudonym Ven Pariah and username Ven99, he posted the statements: "Humanity is not merely a biological condition," he wrote. "It is also a state of mind. On that basis I am a pseudo human at best. A demon at worst." He also quoted the Bible, Ezekiel 25:17: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides." In one message to a comment board, Griffiths wrote: "Thank you for that, Jacqueline, the thought and the sentiment are both truly appreciated. Hope you have a nice day as well – lots of them, in fact. Glad you could see past the scary image I generally project to the world."

Griffiths’s thesis and interests were described as including planned reading such as Patterns of Vengeance: Crosscultural Homicide in the North American Fur Trade and Goodbye Lizzie Borden: the Story of the Trial of America's Most Famous Murderess, and DVDs including David Lynch's cult horror classic Eraserhead and a box set called Notorious Killers.

People and statements quoted in the case material

Det Supt Sukhbir Singh, of West Yorkshire Police, described Griffiths as "heartless and controlling" and said: "I am extremely pleased that Griffiths has been convicted of what can only be described as a series of horrifying crimes," and he added: "They had 'no evidence at this stage' to link Griffiths to any other crimes, but they would be in contact with forces across the country to 'see if anything develops'."

Peter Mann, Head of Complex Casework Unit at the Crown Prosecution Service in West Yorkshire, said: "Few people in Bradford are likely to forget the horrific events which led to Griffiths being arrested and charged with these murders."

Family reactions (quoted)

Suzanne Blamires' mother, Nicky Blamires, said: "I wake up and think about my bright, articulate and much-loved daughter every day and I am serving a life sentence as a result of what this man has done."

Shelley Armitage's mother, Gill Armitage, said: "Her death will haunt us for the rest of our lives."

Susan Rushworth's mother, Christine Thompson, appealed to Griffiths to tell their family what he had done with her "loving" daughter and said: "Our lives will never be the same without her," she said.

Policing and evidence details described in the material

Police reportedly contacted the housing association which owned the flat in which Griffiths lived after Griffiths was observed reading books on dismemberment, and the housing association fitted a better CCTV system in anticipation of an incident.

The material stated that at the time of the murders, police had no evidence for an ASBO.

Charges and court process

The Crown Prosecution Service head of complex casework unit, Peter Mann, decided there was sufficient evidence to charge Stephen Griffiths with their murders and authorised the police to charge him. He said: "I have decided that there is sufficient evidence to charge Stephen Griffiths with their murders, and that it is in the public interest to do so," and: "Accordingly, I have authorised the police to charge him. He will appear at Bradford magistrates court tomorrow morning and be remanded into custody to appear at Bradford crown court tomorrow afternoon." He added: "The events of the last few days have understandably been very upsetting for the families and friends of Suzanne [Blamires], Shelley [Armitage] and Susan [Rushworth] as well as for the wider public in Bradford. Their families have been informed of my decision and I hope soon to be able to meet them and explain the trial process to them and answer any questions they may have."

Additional incidents and content included in the provided material

The material included an extended background discussion of street prostitution and police monitoring in Bradford, plus descriptions of other individuals connected to the narrative, including references to PC Sharon Beshenivsky and Peter Sutcliffe.

It also included discussion of Kenneth Valentine, Caroline Creevy, Becky Hall, and a robbery and gang rape described as involving a Toyota people carrier, plus community and policing policy statements including mentions of the Policing and Crime Act 2009.

It also included discussion of the Bridge Project, heroin and crack use estimates, and statements from Chief executive John Royle: "The police's primary aim is to prevent crime. Our job is to help people with drug problems. But increasingly, the police recognise that locking them up and fining them only encourages the women to go back out on to the streets to get the money to pay the fine. They know it's a hopeless system." He also said: "There is no quick fix,"

and: "After years of chaotic lifestyles, drug use and sex work, these women are not going to change overnight. We need time to develop their trust, to give them respect, dignity and help."

The material included several quotes from women described as working the streets, including the following: Donna said: "If the vice squad stops [the punters], they can say they're heading home," and: "And there's worse than the rattles," and: "We had become punchbags," and: "but then I really got fucked over." Donna also said: "Getting the rattles was too much to bear. The beating, rapes and killings increased, and we just accepted it." Louise said: "Believe me, you'll do anything to make it go away." Donna said: "I said to myself I must never go back to Bradford." Donna said: "He was like a brother to me," and: "At the time, we thought he was just a numpty," and: "Quite a lot of girls took advantage of him, robbing him when he offered to score for them." Donna said: "I started shoplifting instead, anything to get my drugs." Donna said: "She stole off the punters, too, dipping their wallets when she was giving them a blow job." Louise said: "But the rattles don't stop just because there's a killer on the loose," and: Louise said: "There's no point in me complaining to police," and: "It's normal." Louise offered explanations: "She's a smack head and I'm a crack head," and: "So did I but at least I got out of the city" (as a quote attributed within the material).

The material also stated that Griffiths was arrested and charged after a year-long investigation. It described he had been watched for two years and that the police had seized hunting weapons.