Wendy Speakes: Daughter fears shoe fetish killer Christopher Farrow could be released

Tracey says she will 'continue to fight for justice' not only for her mum, but for all Yorkshire women.

The daughter of a woman who was raped and murdered in her home by a sadistic shoe fetishist says releasing him from prison would be "playing Russian roulette with women's lives".

Christopher Farrow targeted 51-year-old Wendy Speakes in a random attack in Wakefield in March 1994.

Then aged 33, he forced his way into Mrs Speakes' home before tying her up with a pair of stockings and forcing her to wear a pair of blue mule shoes he had brought with him.

After raping her he stabbed her to death. Her body was found by colleagues the next day.

  • Wendy's daughter says she fears for other women if Farrow is released.

It took six years before Farrow was finally caught after advances in fingerprint technology allowed a comparison to be made to the partial print found at the murder scene.

He was given a life sentence in November 2000, with a minimum term of 18 years. Two previous parole appeal have been rejected.

But Mrs Speakes' daughter, Tracey Millington-Jones, has spoken out after Farrow, 61, made a third bid for freedom. The Parole Board was considering his release on Friday.

Ms Millington-Jones, who has fought his release for decades, told ITV News: "This is a very dangerous man and if he does come out he's going to kill again.

"The last parole hearing, two years ago, he was kept locked up. What's happened in two years that means he's all of a sudden safe to release to society?

"You're actually playing Russian roulette with women's lives."

Christopher Farrow was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years.

Farrow, from Cookridge in Leeds, is due to face the parole hearing on Friday, 25 November.

A previous hearing in 2018 recommended he be moved to an open prison in preparation for release, but this was overturned in 2020 and he was returned to a secure prison.

Mrs Speakes was forced to wear these shoes during the attack.

Ms Millington-Jones added: "The danger with Farrow is it's not just the person he's in a relationship with that is at risk, it's any woman - a stranger, someone he has no feelings for, so he sees them as an object and he takes out his anger on them.

"So any woman, whether she's in the street or in her own home, is in danger of Farrow if he's released again.

"This guy was going to be the next Yorkshire Ripper. Would they have released him?"

A Parole Board spokesperson said that evidence will be assessed based on what risk Farrow could pose to the public if released.

They added: "Protecting the public is our number one priority."

A decision by the Parole Board is not expected to be made for several days.

Campaign steps up to keep 'shoe fetish killer' behind bars

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