Convicting the Yorkshire Ripper

The shocking behind-the-scenes story of the trial of Britain's infamous serial killer-and how he almost got away with murder. In the mid-1970s, Peter Sutcliffe, aka The Yorkshire Ripper, began a reign of terror across the North of England lasting five years, with thirteen women brutally murdered. It resulted in the largest criminal manhunt in British history. His trial in 1981, the unfolding of a real-life horror story, attracted vast crowds from across the world, with every newspaper in the country sending journalists to cover what was dubbed the trial of the century. For two weeks, both prosecution and defense found themselves embroiled in an unexpected turn of events when Sutcliffe entered a plea of insanity. What followed was an intense showdown between the psychiatrists and the prosecution as eyewitnesses who knew Sutcliffe best, medical experts, and serving police officers all took the stand to answer the big question; Was Peter Sutcliffe suffering from diminished responsibility? Or was he a cold and calculating killer? The real story of what went on behind the scenes at the Old Bailey over those intense two weeks, has never been revealed until now. Using groundbreaking new research, never-before-seen images, original court transcripts, police reports, and eyewitness testimony, Richard C. Cobb takes readers on a step-by-step account of the courtroom drama, presenting the truth about what actually happened, and finally reveals just how close the Yorkshire Ripper came to getting away with murder.