Peter Sutcliffe, a murderer who became known as the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ after
killing 13 women in northern England decades ago, has died in hospital.
The 74-year-old had tested positive for the coronavirus, but had refused treatment, the prison service said.
Sutcliffe, a former gravedigger, was sentenced to life in prison in 1981 after killing 13 women during a five-year period.
He had attempted to kill seven others, and was also discovered to have been behind a number of other crimes.
The shock at the brutality of his attacks was followed by outrage at the police for their inability to arrest him sooner and prevent more deaths.
The serial killer spent about 30 years in a secure hospital in south-eastern England after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia,(A disorder that affects a person’s ability to think, feel and behave clearly).
He was moved to a high-security prison in 2016.
He had also suffered from a heart condition, diabetes and obesity.
