PORTRAIT OF AN IRISH SERIAL KILLER
New series uses police recordings to explore dark world of Underground killer Kieran Kelly
Following his arrest in 1983 in London for the relatively minor theft of a wedding ring, homeless Irishman Kieran Kelly attacked another homeless man, William Boyd, in his cell and strangled him to death.
In his subsequent interview, Kelly shocked police officers by confessing to a series of brutal murders going back 30 years.
The audio tape of that original 1983 UK police interview with Kelly is the only recorded interview with an Irish serial killer.
On tape, Kelly recounts his crimes with spine-chilling candour and convinces the police that they are in the presence of Ireland and perhaps Britain’s most prolific and dangerous killer.
This unique and extraordinary confession tape is the starting point for The Nobody Zone — Interview with an Irish Serial Killer, a new RTÉ documentary series exploring the twilight world of Kieran Kelly — who gained notoriety as ‘The London Underground Serial Killer’.
Actor Ned Dennehy plays Kelly in this dramatisation of his extraordinary confession. Using Kelly’s own voice, Ned lip-synchs his performance, bringing to life this incredible scene of a serial killer describing his crimes.
There are disputed claims that Kelly — who was originally from Co. Laois and died in prison in 2001 — may have killed up to 31 people using the London Underground’s Northern Line to target victims, push them in front of trains, and then disappear into the rush-hour surge.
This two-part series had exclusive access to 120 minutes of the UK police audio interview with Kelly.
It is a remarkable insight into the mind and motivation of a most unlikely serial killer.
In addition to this dramatised confession, the series had access to an expert team of investigators and documentary makers who have accumulated more than eight years of research on the life and exploits of Kelly.
The contributors include the detective superintendent who was lead investigator on the UK police investigation, a builder who employed Kelly as a casual labourer over several years, unaware of his murderous activity but wary of his explosive temper.
A forensic psychologist also studied the audio tapes to explore the motivation behind Kelly’s crimes and to find clues to his personality and character. n The Nobody Zone — Interview with an Irish Serial Killer, Monday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm.