The fake Ripper

martin

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OK, I just want to start off by saying I don't idolise serial killers or harbour a deep loathing of women (not on Fridays anyway). If I was clever, I'd link the arrest of Wearside Jack (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4360026.stm) to some discussion about the simulated and the real. But, out of interest, I know he was a bit out of order, but does anyone else think a jail sentence is a wee bit too harsh?
 

Woebot

Well-known member
martin said:
OK, I just want to start off by saying I don't idolise serial killers or harbour a deep loathing of women (not on Fridays anyway). If I was clever, I'd link the arrest of Wearside Jack (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4360026.stm) to some discussion about the simulated and the real. But, out of interest, I know he was a bit out of order, but does anyone else think a jail sentence is a wee bit too harsh?

Given that he derailed the investigation and three more women were killed because they ruled Sutcliffe out because he had the wrong type of accent i'd so no. Stupid fucking twat deserves what he gets, and great that they've caught him. I can only presume that he MUST have bragged to someone that he'd done it, and they grassed him up.

Have you read the transcript of that tape though? I mean its SO improbable, it looks *precisely* like a hoax. Utterly unbelieavable.
 

john eden

male pale and stale
He's being banged up for the reason Matt says, but also for outwitting the cops for so long (not that I am unduly bothered about that aspect of it!)

There was an incredibly detailed documentary about the whole thing a few months back so perhaps he was nicked when somebody saw it and put the pieces together. They had him pinned to within a few streets by his accent, iirc.

Have you read the transcript of that tape though? I mean its SO improbable, it looks *precisely* like a hoax. Utterly unbelieavable.

Hindsight is 20/20 but it is surprising that so much credence was put into it and the cops were so lazy at checking which facts which had appeared in the press etc. They reckoned he was saying stuff which wasn't public knowledge. Turns out he was a Daily Mail reader at the time and most of the letters were based on coverage in that.
 

martin

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WOEBOT said:
Given that he derailed the investigation and three more women were killed because they ruled Sutcliffe out because he had the wrong type of accent i'd so no. Stupid fucking twat deserves what he gets, and great that they've caught him. I can only presume that he MUST have bragged to someone that he'd done it, and they grassed him up.

Have you read the transcript of that tape though? I mean its SO improbable, it looks *precisely* like a hoax. Utterly unbelieavable.

Well, yeah, that's kind of my point. It seems incredibly childish and unreal reading it now. I'm not disputing that the bloke was a grade-A twat, but I wouldn't scapegoat him entirely for what was essentially gross police incompetence. There's also the fact that the whole thing was such a media circus (and let's not forget how many books on serial killers and nazis WH Smiths used to stock in the 80s), this kind of prank was inevitable.
 
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