Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RIPPER HAD CHANCE TO TELL HIS SECRETS
Fiend knew he was dying but did not say if he killed more
THE Yorkshire Ripper knew he was about to die but still refused to apologise for his heinous crimes or reveal if he killed more people.
After being struck down by Covid-19, Peter Sutcliffe was told he was being transferred into palliative care following “full discussion” with doctors, the inquest into his death has heard.
Sutcliffe, 74, died hours later at 1.45am on November 13 last year.
Speaking after the hearing yesterday, Richard Mccann, whose mum, Wilma, was murdered by the Ripper in 1975, said: “He was aware he was going to die but chose not to confess or say sorry. It does not surprise me as we are talking about an evil, sadistic serial killer.
“I [wrote] to him three times and he chose not to reply, so it would be naive to expect anything different. But if he was responsible for other murders, then I feel for the relatives of those victims.”
Richard, 51, was five when his mum, 28, was killed near their home in Leeds.
Sutcliffe, from Bradford, was convicted in 1981 of murdering 13 women.
Some police think he may have murdered around 20 more.
The inquest heard Sutcliffe was taken to hospital from Frankland prison in Co Durham after becoming gravely ill having tested positive for Covid on November 5. Pathologist Dr Clive
Bloxham, who carried out a postmortem, said in a statement: “On Nov 2, he had a pacemaker fitted for an episodic complete heart block. This was carried out without complication. On Nov 12, he was judged to be dying.
“He continued to deteriorate with increasing oxygen requirements and after full discussion with the patient, he was transferred to palliative care.”
Sutcliffe had severe heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver. The main finding was “very heavy, solid, airless lungs, typical of Sars Covid 2 and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome”.
His brother Mick, 70, said he would have tried to speak to the Ripper had he been aware the killer was dying. Mick said: “Peter had done very wrong but it wasn’t just about him. I haven’t done anything wrong. I deserved to know.
“The last thing I said to the prison authorities the day before he died was ‘I better not be reading in the papers tomorrow that he’s died’.
“They knew he was dying and I was not told a thing. I’m furious because I wanted to say my final goodbyes.”
He added that as the Ripper’s ex-wife Sonia Woodward was next of kin, he knew nothing of the inquest or funeral.
The inquest in Crook, Co Durham, was adjourned until May 7, though a full hearing may not take place until June 18.