Sutcliffe plea of manslaughter

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 6

Sutcliffe plea of manslaughter

NZPA London Peter . Sutcliffe, aged 34, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey Court in London yesterday : to the manslaughter of 13 women in the north of England between 1975 and 1980.

Sutcliffe, a truck driver of Bradford, also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of seven other women in the north.

Sutcliffe pleaded not guilty to the 13 murders but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Mr Justice Boreham, the trial judge, told the Attor-ney-General (Sir Michael Havers) prosecuting, that he had ’’grave anxieties” about Sutcliffe’s pleas.

His Honour asked Sir Michael to explain to him in “greater detail than usual” any decision which he (Sir Michael) was going to make about the acceptance of the pleas. Sutcliffe arrived at the Old Bailey just after 9.30 a.m. in a green armoured

prison van escorted by two police cars with sirens blaring and lights flashing. As the van drew near the Court, police officers on duty held up the traffic and it drove straight into the yard. The gates were then shut, preventing press photographers and the public from getting a glimpse of Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe was led into the oak-panelled dock of the historic No. 1 Court by three prison officers.

He stood in the dock, flanked by prison officers, as the 20 charges were put to him by the Court Clerk. Sutcliffe, who has black, curly hair and a beard, wore a light grey suit and a blue shirt.

He stood, hands by his side, and stared straight ahead, without expression, as the charges were read out. He gave loud, clear answers when giving his pleas, but stumbled over words when pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.