David James Harker

Case information

Defendant: David James Harker (age 24) Victim: Julie Paterson (age 32), mother of four

The offence

Julie Paterson was strangled. Harker killed her after meeting her in a pub and taking her back to his flat in Darlington. Harker strangled her with her tights. Harker then claimed that he cut strips of flesh from her thigh, cooked it, and ate part of her body with pasta and cheese. Harker also claimed he had sex with the corpse before wiping it down with bleach. Harker claimed he then sawed off the head and limbs. Harker dumped the torso in a bin-bag on wasteland near Darlington football club. Her dismembered body was found, while her head was never found.

Harker admitted to manslaughter in Julie Paterson’s death on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Harker was described as having the words “Subhuman” and “Disorder” tattooed on his scalp.

Investigation

Harker was arrested after one of an estimated 25 people to whom he boasted of the killing realised that he was telling the truth and contacted the police.

Police found bloodstains and some of Julie Paterson’s clothing in the basement where Harker lived. Police searched for missing remains. Detectives searched through 20,000 tons of rubbish at Coxhoe tip in County Durham and in rivers and ponds, but her head and limbs were never found. The whereabouts of Julie’s missing body parts had never been established.

The last reported sighting of Julie Paterson was on 16 April last year. She was believed to have been killed shortly after.

Julie’s body was found in the garden of a derelict house in Polam Lane, Darlington, on May 16, 1998.

Arrest

Harker was arrested after he had boasted of the killing to multiple people, and one person contacted the police after concluding he was telling the truth.

Trial

Harker pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The plea was accepted by Mr Justice Bennett.

Prosecutor: Paul Worsley At Teesside Crown Court, Paul Worsley told the court that Harker confided to a psychiatrist that he chopped up his victim and ate part of her body with pasta and cheese.

Judge: Mr Justice Bennett Mr Justice Bennett told Harker:

“You killed her in the most terrible circumstances and dismembered her body. You glorified in her death and the manner of her death. I have no doubt that given the slightest opportunity you will kill again.”

Sentencing

Harker was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years on February 10, 1999 after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Chief Supt Dave Jones said Harker, now 32, could not be considered for parole for another six years.

Appeals

No appeal outcome was provided.

Outcome

Harker was convicted after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 14 years.

Julie Paterson’s head was never found, and her head and limbs were never found.

Aftermath

Chief Supt Dave Jones, who led the inquiry, planned to visit Harker in his secure hospital for the first time since he was convicted to ask him where the remains were hidden.

Julie Paterson’s father, Jim Paterson, said:

“I hope and pray the officer comes back with some good news. ” “It would be nice to finally lay Julie's remains to rest, but I have a feeling Harker will be as arrogant and cold as ever. I have been told that he has not changed one bit.” “There is not a day that went by when he did not think about Julie, and he regularly visited her grave.” “I still feel very angry about what Harker did,” he said. “I go to church every Sunday, but I'm not the kind of person that can forgive something like that.” “I don't think about Harker now, though. I just think about Julie. I only hope that he tells us what he did with her remains, then we can have closure.”

Chief Supt Dave Jones said:

“Since the case concluded, the only question remaining is the whereabouts of Julie's missing body parts, which has never been established.” “I have never been to see Harker since he was convicted because I took the view that he would tell us to get lost.” “He refused to speak to the police back then, so I decided to let it settle before approaching him again in the hope it would give him time to think about it.” “If he has any kind of conscience and any shred of compassion, he will tell us.” “I feel I still owe it to Julie's family to try to bring it to a conclusion.” “They understandably want to make sure all of her remains are given a proper burial.”

Chief Supt Dave Jones also said:

“It was such a dreadful and unusual case, certainly the most unusual case I have ever been involved in - and so tragic in so many ways.” “I know this might stir up old memories for her family, but it is an attempt to give the family closure and Julie some dignity. She deserves that.”

Other details

Harker told psychiatrists he strangled Julie Paterson with her tights after he “got bored” during a sex session.

Harker claimed to have had sex with the corpse before wiping it down with bleach and sawing off the head and limbs.

A documentary about the case examined David Harker’s killing of Julie Paterson and his claimed acts of eating her flesh.

Harker moved to Darlington in 1995, aged 23. He was described as having a promiscuous sex life and drink-fuelled tantrums, aggression, and ultimately violence. He was said to spend much of his time in Stanhope Park, Darlington, drunk on strong cider and frequently sick.

Harker was said to have read macabre books and watched grisly videos, including books on how to evade questions in police interviews and how to survive in prison. He was described as being widely known as saying everybody had either a “V” or an “I” on their chest, signifying “victim” or “innocent”.

Harker’s friend Mike Farrant said:

“He liked to portray himself as that and would pick fights with people, but I certainly wasn't frightened of him. I suppose some of the younger lads might have been.” “When we heard he had been arrested for murder, we couldn't believe it because he could be such a good bloke. We knew he could lose it - but not like that.”

Harker was described as having a tempestuous relationship with his parents and not speaking to them for months prior to his arrest. He was brought up in Second Avenue, Chester-le-Street by his mother Jacqueline and father Alan, along with his younger brother Stephen.

Harker was said to have been sent to Deerbolt Young Offenders’ Institution at Barnard Castle, County Durham, at 16 for attacking two men and their dog; the dog later died.

Harker was said to have befriended boys aged between 15 and 17, and many feared him. He was lead singer in a punk, hardcore band named Downfall. He was friends with students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington.

After finishing with a previous girlfriend, who was the mother of his four-year-old son, Harker became depressed and ended up sleeping rough. He spent time at Darlington YMCA. He stayed at friends’ houses and slept in a garden shed at one point.

Steven Crane of Harrison Terrace, Darlington, said:

“One of the reasons I liked Harker was because he hated bigoted people, like racists.” “He would always stick up for people who could not help their situation. He couldn't stand sex offenders and people who were horrible to children.” “That all seems so strange now, knowing what he did to Julie Paterson.”

A neighbour in Harewood Grove said the front door to Harker’s flat was broken and he entered by the back door. They accused him of compounding a problem with rats by feeding them as pets.

Stuart Boulton, a photographer at The Northern Echo, lived in the flat where Julie Paterson was killed immediately prior to David Harker moving in. He moved out because a bigger apartment became available two doors away. Stuart Boulton met Harker on a few occasions and said:

“I found him quite pleasant every time I spoke to him. In fact, he was fairly quiet, but you could crack on with him and have a chat.” “But I realised he had another side to him when I saw him one night in the Tap n' Spile in Darlington. He went into a rage for some unknown reason and put his fist through a window.” “He was barred from a lot of the pubs in town.” Stuart Boulton said: “I went back into Harker's flat early last April. I couldn't believe the state it was in. There was a stench of beer and you couldn't see the floor for empty cans and bottles. In his bedroom there was just a mattress and lots of pornographic magazines. I just thought how sad it was.”

David Harker was described as having been diagnosed as having all the criteria of a psychopathic killer who felt no remorse for his crime.

Harker’s story was described as including claims that he killed two more people and committed acts of necrophilia and cannibalism on Julie Paterson’s body.

Harker began a letter-writing campaign to the press. Karen Westcott, a journalist for the Northern Echo, said:

“His motivation was notoriety.” “His trump card is that he’s never said where her remains are and I think he won’t do that because he knows that it’s keeping him in the press.”

Alan Taylor was described as having lost crucial appointments with his children, which led him to alert the police. Alan Taylor was described as recalling that Paterson would frequently disappear for days on end. Alan Taylor was also described as being filmed standing over Julie Paterson’s grave, and he said:

“The nightmares I have... in a way, I’m like a murderer myself because I have to think how, maybe, he’s done it.” Alan Taylor later turned to drink and murdered his friend John Morrison by strangling him with a belt, stating he wanted to be sent to the same prison as Harker in order to exact revenge on his girlfriend’s killer. Alan Taylor committed suicide three months after being sent away for life.

David James Harker admitted to manslaughter in the death of 32-year-old Julie Paterson on the grounds of diminished responsibility.