Peter Sutcliffe victims and families 'are the real ones serving life sentences', says Yorkshire Ripper detective
A former detective who worked on the hunt for Peter Sutcliffe has said it is the killer’s victims and their families who serve a life sentence.
Bob Bridgestock said Sutcliffe was a “brutal” killer who would be “detested” way after his death, and acknowledged mistakes were made in the search for him.
“Peter Sutcliffe wasn’t a very intelligent killer, he was just brutal,” Mr Bridgestock told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“It fits, in my mind, into the likes of (Myra) Hindley and (Ian) Brady and the likes of Robert Black – serial killers who will be detested way after they’ve gone.
“I’ve walked with my dog this morning and people have said: ‘Good news, good riddance,’ and that’s what a lot of people will be thinking about (it).”
Mr Bridgestock was one of the first officers on the scene when Josephine Whitaker was murdered by Sutcliffe in 1979.
He said hindsight was a wonderful thing, but senior officers on the case “wore blinkers on the investigation”.
He added: “It’s the victims that served the life sentence and then the victims’ families that really serve the true life sentences.
“For them today, they will have some kind of closure.
“The news today will bring back some very sad memories for a lot of them. And we should remember the victims, not the killer.
“The police weren’t capable but (back) then the ability of the police was limited, the reviews have shown how limited they were.
“I can remember Josephine Whitaker’s murder, being in pouring-down weather with another officer, waiting over an hour for some kind of tent to come and try to protect her, to preserve the scene.
“We use the tarpaulin from a nearby wagon, because it took an hour to get some kind of structure there to protect her.
“And it’s those kind of things that, fortunately, changed rapidly after he was caught.”
Mr Bridgestock said some victims who survived Sutcliffe’s attacks would find peace following news of his death.
“Today is about the families and they won’t shed a tear for him, but it will bring back some terrible memories for them,” he said.
“For those that were attacked and survived, it will give them a little bit of peace knowing that they don’t actually have to hear about him after today any more.”
The victims of Sutcliffe's reign of terror:
Sutcliffe’s five-year reign of terror claimed the lives of 13 women, though police suspect that number could be higher. His known victims were:
Wilma McCann, 28, from Chapeltown, Leeds, who was killed in October 1975.
Emily Jackson, 42, a prostitute and mother-of-three from Morley, Leeds. Killed on January 20, 1976.
Irene Richardson, 28, a mother-of-two from Chapeltown, Leeds. Killed on February 6, 1977.
Patricia Atkinson, 32, a mother-of-three from Manningham, Bradford. Killed on April 24, 1977.
Jayne MacDonald, 16, a shop assistant from Leeds. Killed on June 26, 1977.
Jean Jordan, 21, from Manchester, who died between September 30 and October 11, 1977.
Yvonne Pearson, 22, from Bradford. Murdered between January 20 and March 26, 1978.
Helen Rytka, 18, from Huddersfield. Murdered on January 31, 1978.
Vera Millward, 40, a mother-of-seven from Manchester, who was killed on May 16, 1978.
Josephine Whitaker, 19, a building society worker from Halifax. Killed on April 4, 1979.
Barbara Leach, 20, a student who was murdered while walking in Bradford on September 1, 1979.
Marguerite Walls, 47, a civil servant from Leeds who was murdered on August 20, 1980
Jacqueline Hill, 20, a student, who was found at Headingley on November 16, 1980.