Why Should We Care About The Yorkshire Ripper?
Recent reports of Peter Sutcliffe’s move from Broadmoor to a category A prison have sparked another round of column inches for the Yorkshire Ripper.
Not because of the horrendous crimes he committed but that he now fears for his own life after being transferred to a category A prison.
Following his recent evaluation, Sutcliffe was declared sane and as such had been moved from Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital to HMP Frankland in County Durham.
Broadmoor had been his home for some 32 years. Now he shares HMP Frankland with the likes of convicted child murderer Ian Huntley, murderer Michael Stone and police murderer David Bieber, to name a few.
The move from Broadmoor to HMP Frankland has also saved the public purse a huge amount of money. When Sutcliffe was at Broadmoor the annual bill for his detention and treatment was some £300,000. Now that he his at HMP Frankland that bill has now reduced to around £50,000 per year, thereby saving some £250,000.
It has now been reported in the popular press that he had a telephone conversation with his brother in which he stated he fears that he would be attacked and killed.
The question for many is, why should we care if a man who has committed the most horrendous murders suffers a similar fate?
I wrote an article in 2010 for the Manchester Evening News after reports that Ian Huntley was making a personal injury claim against the prison authorities. In that article I supported Huntley’s right to make such a claim on the basis that the prison authorities had failed in their duty of care to him.
The situation that Sutcliffe is worried about is no different than Huntley’s was.
All serving prisoners are under the care of the state and are owed a duty of care. It is a primary tenet that runs through our legal system and one which is enjoyed by all of us, throughout our daily lives.
In simple terms, it means that the prison authorities need to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of any prisoner, including Sutcliffe.
I would imagine that a risk assessment has already been carried out regarding Sutcliffe and the possible dangers to him have been identified.
As a civilised society we do have a moral duty of care to those that we have imprisoned, no matter what their crimes.
It is all to easy too offer up a quote to encapsulate a philosophy however, the Russian writer, Fyodor Dostoevsky gave the universal statement of: “The degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”
We rightly see ourselves as a civilised society with a sophisticated and world envied criminal justice system. Surely we should rise above base emotions and treat all our society’s prisoners with the same degree of punishment, rehabilitation and compassion.
It is a simple practice to single out specific offenders and offences and in many ways, declare them as beyond the norm. The vicious murders committed by Sutcliffe could easily be so identified.
But what would anyone suggest be done about Sutcliffe? Is it that people would rather he be left to be attacked and maybe killed? What a dangerous precedent this would set. That the sentence intended by law is circumvented to satisfy the public feeling.
If Sutcliffe is attacked and killed in prison there will be few who would shed a tear. Many would say that he has finally got what he deserved.
However, in the broader view, what does that say about our criminal justice system?
Surely if the state fails in its duty of care with the lowest and most vulnerable in society, how can it claim to protect the rest of us?
About Nick Freeman
Nick Freeman is probably the best known solicitor practising in the country today.
He has been dubbed "Mr Loophole" by the press owing to his vast technical knowledge of motoring law matters and his ability to successfully challenge the prosecution over procedural irregularities.
Nick is widely known for his celebrity client list and high profile criminal defence cases.
Nick is the head of Freeman & Co. Solicitors and although based in Manchester, represents defendants in motoring and criminal cases all over the country.
After graduating from Chester Law School in 1979, Nick started his career as a prosecuting solicitor for Greater Manchester Police.
Nick soon became known for his technical legal abilities and robust court room style and he was soon recruited into private practice by the highly respected solicitors firm of Burton & Co. He was soon to be made a partner at the practice but in 1999 he decided to start his own firm following which Freeman & Co. was formed.
Owing to Nick's meticulous case preparation and technical legal skill he soon made Freeman & Co. one of the most respected and sought after criminal solicitors firms in the country.
Despite the celebrity client list and media attention, Nick and Freeman & Co. have built their practice on representing ordinary members of the public with the same tenacity as those more high profile cases that are reported in the press and on TV.
Outside of his professional practice Nick is a regular expert guest on TV and radio and is well regarded as an expert legal commentator. He is an ardent supporter of defendant anonymity in sex cases.
In recent times his credits have included Tonight With Trevor MacDonald, Close Up North West, Channel 4 News, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live to name but a few. He also appears regularly on Sky News, BBC News 24 and Legal Eagles on ITV's This Morning. Nick is a regular legal commentator for the Sunday Times.
A father of 2 children Nick is a keen golfer with a 2.9 handicap and enjoys vigorous exercise with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Contacting Nick Freeman
For professional matters and representation Nick can be contacted through Freeman & Co. on 0161 236 7007 or you can send him a confidential email by clicking here.
If you would like to contact Nick for a media appearance or legal comment please call David Simister on 0845 389 26 26.