31/01/05 - Sutcliffe walked 'free'
By Gary Jones
The Mirror

PETER Sutcliffe stood alone and unmanacled at the windswept seaside resort he visited two weeks ago.

A horrified public believed the Yorkshire Ripper was handcuffed to a Broadmoor nurse on his day out to the spot where his father's ashes were scattered.

Instead the 58-year-old mass killer claims he walked down the beach at Arnside, Cumbria, unaccompanied and unfettered.

Amazed, he boasted to a penpal after his first taste of freedom in 24 years: "Yes, it was a nice day out to Arnside where dad's ashes were buried. I walked along the beach by myself (without handcuffs) for quite a distance. The guys trusted me!!

"It was a freezing cold wind coming off the sea. I stopped at the place on the beach where dad's ashes were (I had photos of the exact spot) and had a few minutes there."

Sutcliffe enclosed the photo above, taken in the 70s of himself standing at the same spot. He has kept his dark hair and beard and, although fatter, looks much the same today.

In letters littered with exclamation marks, Sutcliffe - who in six years murdered 13 women and tried to kill seven more - says he is "weary" of discussing his crimes.

He writes fancifully of winning an appeal against conviction and rubbishes reports that he plans to marry penpal Pam Mills, 54. He also tells of his battle against diabetes.

Sutcliffe was refused permission to attend the funeral of his father John, who died, at 81, of cancer.

However, he threatened to pursue a human rights case if he was not allowed to carry out a pledge to his father and revisit Arnside.

He used snaps taken by his family at the ashes ceremony to pinpoint the location.

Then, after permission from former Home Secretary David Blunkett, he set out on the 540-mile round trip from his high-security hospital at Crowthorne, Berks.

Revealing that he ended the heavily criticised visit himself, he said: "After just over 20 minutes, I said OK chaps let's go back to the van and we set off back at 11.30am. We had our meals on the way etc."

Writing in a neat, flowing hand, Sutcliffe continues to display an astonishing arrogance.

The man who battered his victims over the head with a hammer, then stabbed them with a screwdriver or knife, writes: "I'm weary of talking about the past and all the tragedy - which is constantly brought up by an army of doctors and psychiatrists." Instead of remorse, and despite being told he will die behind bars, he dwells on the dubious prospect of an appeal based on a ruling made by the judge at his trial in 1981.

Claiming to be no longer insane or dangerous, he says: "There are hopes for the future. I have an appeal hearing against conviction and sentence...I still take each day as it comes though!"

Reports have suggested the Ripper might marry another penpal, grandmother Pam Mills, 54.

But he writes: "Absolute rubbish... no truth in it at all. I never had plans to get married! It all came from a rumour and my friend Pam bought a friendship ring and it was mistaken for an engagement ring. That's all there was to it."

Sutcliffe, who benefited from his father's will, has no shortage of money to buy presents for friends and family and luxury goods for himself.

But he has changed his surname by deed poll to his mother's maiden name of Coonan so no one will know the real man behind his cheques.

He says: "I did that because I was unable to get a bank account under my old name as they were frightened in case I sued if there was a leak to the press about my account."

The canny killer also revealed he moved his money out of a Broadmoor account into a building society because it did not gather interest.

He writes: "The cash office have to do all the transactions for me. I just put my signature on things - etc!

"My old surname is now quite obsolete...it would be actually illegal for me to use it! Everything has to be signed P Coonan now!"

Diabetic Sutcliffe has been told he must urgently lose weight or put his life at risk. But he has been made to wait his turn at using the Broadmoor gym which has tens of thousands of pounds' worth of equipment.

He says: "I'm still waiting...hopefully it won't be long because the issue of me going into insulin injections is quite a crucial one and I don't have much time left to play with.

"I know how important exercise is. I'll go on the treadmills, rowing and weight-lifting machines. I simply have got to reduce my dangerously high blood sugar levels."

Sutcliffe accuses one of the doctors of losing patience with him as he keeps refusing insulin. But he hits back: "If I can lose some weight, my blood sugar levels should come down.

"If I can bring the B/S levels down I could avoid the insulin! I'm a man with a plan! Tee hee!"

Sutcliffe has been blind in one eye since he was stabbed by another patient in 1997. But he claims he has found forgiveness after becoming a Jehovah's Witness.

He says: "I have forgiven the mentally ill person who did it as I am a Christian - etc! It happened eight years ago so it's history."

The killer spends much of his time watching films and listening to classical music. He claims Mozart keeps him calm. He also tells of ordering a VCR from Argos.

Divorced Sutcliffe is regularly visited by former wife Sonia, 54. Sonia, who remarried, still confides in him and on her most recent visit they discussed pornography.

Sutcliffe writes: "I had a lovely all day visit from my ex-wife Sonia. We had a good long chat.

"Sonia hates pornography, after all it's a type of unfaithfulness ogling other women with one thing in mind and I'm inclined to agree with her on that issue!"

Sutcliffe says he also stays in contact with his three sisters and two brothers. He adds: "Things could be worse! In fact lots of people are worse off in the world through poverty, disease, starvation, wars etc!"