Ripper 'committed more crimes', report claims

The Yorkshire Ripper probably carried out more crimes than those he was convicted for, a previously secret report has suggested.

The Byford Report, which was released under the Freedom of Information Act, said that there had been an "unexplained lull" in the Ripper's activities between 1969, when he first came to the attention of police, and 1975, when the first officially recognised Ripper attack took place.

Peter Sutcliffe was jailed for life in 1981 for the murders of 13 women and the attempted murders of seven others between 1975 and 1980.

The inquiry into the West Yorkshire police investigation was carried out by former inspector of the constabulary Sir Lawrence Byford in 1982, but was kept secret for nearly 25 years.

In the report, Sir Lawrence said: "We feel it is highly improbable that the crimes in respect of which Sutcliffe has been charged and convicted are the only ones attributable to him.

"This feeling is reinforced by examining the details of a number of assaults on women since 1969, which, in some ways, clearly fall into the established pattern of Sutcliffe's overall modus-operandi."

The report also suggested that detectives investigating the Ripper murders had made "major errors of judgement" during the investigation.

Sutcliffe had been questioned and released nine times during the inquiry.

The investigation was also the target of a hoax - letters and a tape, purporting to be from the killer, which changed the focus of the investigation.

The hoaxer became known as Wearside Jack and changed the focus of the inquiry to Sunderland in the search for the killer, because the voice on the tape had a strong Wearside accent. Sutcliffe, however, was born in West Yorkshire and lived in Bradford.

In March, John Humble, who had admitted to being Wearside Jack, was sentenced to eight years for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

(KMcA/SP)