| Flowers in Gods Garden
- Articles |
29/10/92
- I did it - Kid Killer
by Louise Carpenter
A BASILDON man with a history of writing to people in
notorious cases was the key to convicting a sexually-motivated
child murderer after he became his pen pal.
Richard Blenkey, 33, a loner who lived with his mother
in Saltburn, Cleveland, was this week sentenced to at
least 20 years in jail for strangling Paul Pearson, seven,
with red twine in an allotment chicken hut.
The little boy's bike and semi-naked body were found in
an overgrown 50ft ravine a day later. The jobless bachelor
changed his plea to guilty after detectives learned of
a last-minute confession 11 days before his trial in a
letter to Patrick Mahoney, of Basildon.
Mr Mahoney, who has written to a string of notorious people
in jails, wrote 36 letters to Blenkey while he awaited
trial. Blenkey previously denied murdering the boy in
August last year but his resolve cracked after a year
of correspondence with Mr Mahoney.
Teeside Crown Court heard Mr Mahoney tried to sell his
story to a national newspaper which then informed Cleveland
Police. Forensic tests proved the letters had been written
by Blenkey.
Mr Justice Blofeld said Blenkey showed a 'morbid interest'
in young boys. He said Blenkey had committed 'appalling
murder' after luring the little boy into the hut for sexual
gratification. After the verdict, Paul's parents called
for Blenkey, to be hanged. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
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