Killer crossed line from thief to paedophile
RUSSELL Bishop is so evil he blamed the dad of one of his murder victims for the killings.
The 52-year-old denied he was a paedophile and pointed the finger at his nine-year-old victim Nicola Fellows’s father Barrie, who long campaigned for justice.
Det Supt Jeff Riley, who led the cold case probe, said: “When you see the impact on the families, and Barrie in particular, I think it is a particularly cruel way to run a defence but that’s the defendant.”
Bishop is the youngest of five brothers, who were raised by Sylvia and Roy Bishop in Brighton.
CHEATING
Mrs Bishop, described in court as a “domineering” matriarch, is a successful dog trainer with a string of Crufts medals. She helped to mastermind Bishop’s defence during the first trial.
Bishop struggled with dyslexia at school and was sent to board in Horam at 14 but returned to Brighton at 16 and began stealing.
He later lived with his partner Jennie Johnson and their infant son Victor, while cheating on her with 16-year-old Marion Stevenson. He knew both Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway’s families and the girls were befriended by Ms Stevenson.
Bishop, who went on to have three children, was just 20 when he crossed the line from petty thief to violent paedophile.