Latest news with #HouseofHorrors
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Prisoners 'plotted to kill Rose West with pool balls and sock' behind bars
Evil Rose West has been behind bars since 1995 for torturing and murdering 10 women and girls alongside husband Fred West - she is said to be deeply unpopular in prison Prisoners plotted to kill sick serial killer Rose West with pool balls and a sock. There was also a plan to set her cell on fire. West was jailed in 1995 for murdering 10 women and girls alongside husband Fred in what became known as the House of Horrors murders in Gloucester. To this day, it is known as one of the most revolting crimes in British history. Multiple bodies were found in their garden under a patio and in a sex-dungeon cellar. Fred killed himself in HMP Birmingham before the trial, meaning he never faced justice to the anguish of the victims' families. But Rose West, 71, has been rotting in prison ever since, as one of few criminals in the UK to ever be given a whole life term that means she'll never be free. And she was reportedly the target of an assassination plot behind bars. The plot in 2008 involved battering her with pool balls in a sock, it is reported. In HMP Durham, she was also targeted in an arson attack when a fellow inmate tried to set fire to her cell. Her former legal representative, Leo Goatley, told The Sun: "Rose was on a female wing with lots of other women serving long sentences, women who just wanted to get on and have some peace and quiet, even though they'd been convicted of some serious offences. "About two years after her conviction, in the late nineties, they had women serving shorter sentences coming into the wing. Someone tried to set light to her cell and that was a total disruption for her." West has also received threats from a fellow serial killer. Joanna Dennehy, convicted of murdering three men within 10 days in Peterborough, allegedly threatened to kill West behind bars. West was moved in 2019 and is now being held in a special unit at the women-only HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire. This week, it emerged Rose can "barely walk" and rarely leaves the wing she's held on. She is also said to have attempted making friends by giving other women gifts, but these efforts fall flat when inmates find out who she is. Netflix released earlier this month. It delves into the nightmarish deeds of the Wests from their unassuming home in Gloucester during the '80s and '90s. The three-part series, which utilises more than 50 hours of previously unseen and unheard police interview tapes from 107 interrogations, promises to cast new light on the murders of at least 12 women by Fred and Rose West.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Rose West's last days in jail - name change, vape bribes and barely able to move
Depraved serial killer Rosemary West is one of only four women in Britain to be given a whole life order. Amid new reports of her cell conditions, the Mirror takes a look at what the life of UK's most reviled woman looks like now Rosemary West is living out the rest of her days in isolation from behind bars as her health rapidly declines - a far cry from her previous 'luxury life' in jail. The serial killer, 71, was sentenced to life in prison after she raped, tortured and killed at least 12 women with her husband Fred West. They committed their crimes from their own home in Gloucester, 25 Cromwell Street, which later became known as a 'House of Horrors.' The evil couple were arrested on February 25, 1994, on suspicion of the murder of their daughter Heather, who'd been missing since 1987. The following day, the teenager's skeletal remains were recovered in their back garden. The tragic discovery was only the tip of the iceberg. Over the course of 20 years, the Wests brutally slayed at least ten vulnerable young women and girls, whom they subjected to depraved acts of torture and sadism. Fred West died by suicide on New Year's Day, 1995, leaving his wife Rose West to stand trial in October of that year. Although she protested her innocence, trying to portray Fred as the sole killer, grim witness testimonies painted a very different picture with many even viewing her as the dominant force behind the sick crimes. Rose is now being held in a special unit at HMP New Hall known as Rivendell House, where 30 prisoners each have an en-suite cell and are allocated a laptop, which they can use to order food from. She is reportedly now barely able to move, according to The Sun, and only leaves her cell when she's escorted by prison officers. Her change in routine comes after she was forced to move from her cushy cell in top-security jail Low Newton in 2019, after another notorious serial killer threatened to murder her. She had spent a decade enjoying Bake-Off competitions and providing salon services for fellow inmates, according to reports at the time. Here, we take a look at the killer's new life in jail where she will live out her dying days... 'Disabled room and vape bribes' A source told The Sun:"She's in a disabled room now because she can barely walk. She never really leaves the wing she's held on and is escorted all the time by prison officers if she goes anywhere. Sometimes she sits in the communal areas on her own. "No one talks to her because everyone knows who she is and what she did, even if she has changed her name. When I was there, she tried to make friends with the other women and gave them gifts, like vapes, but she was rejected. She likes to watch nature documentaries on the TV in her cell, especially ones about birds." Some inmates spurn her attempts at friendship, and she often eats tomato soup in her cell alone for breakfast, before spending most of her time in her cell knitting and talking to the TV, because she can barely walk. Name change failure In the hope of distancing herself from her evil crimes, West reportedly paid £36 to change her name to Jennifer Jones. It's understood she changed her name by deed poll in December last year and told friends it's her way of moving on. But the decision reportedly infuriated fellow inmates at New Hall women's jail, near Wakefield, West Yorks hire. A pal said, "Rose thinks the name will give her some anonymity, but there's a lot of anger about it. She's chosen the new surname because it's so common, and the Christian name just because she's always liked it. For her, it's more about getting rid of any association to Fred for good." Myra Hindley 'fling' Two of the most despised and feared women in Britain started having a 'love affair' in prison, according to reports. Myra Hindley, along with her boyfriend Ian Brady, was jailed in 1966 for killing five children, Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans, in what became known as the Moors Murders. She was sentenced to spend the rest of her life behind bars for her twisted crimes and was jailed in HMP Durham when she first met West in the mid-1990s. The two women are said to have quickly become close, and one fellow prisoner has insisted they were more than just friends. Prisoner relationships are allowed, but sex is against the rules because the premises are regarded as public places. The pair reportedly enjoyed a fling, with West telling her former solicitor Leo Goatley: "Yeah, Myra, she's all right, we get on, I want to see how it goes." Mr Goatley claims West was "impressed by Hindley's knowledge and ability" as the serial killer had studied with the Open University. The lawyer, who represented West for 12 years, published the book, Understanding Fred and Rose West, in which he revealed the relationship between the two women. He said: "Rose's first paramour was the Moors murderer, Myra Hindley, who happened to be on the hospital wing at HMP Durham at the same time in 1995 an early 1996." However, Mr Goatley claims their relationship didn't last long with West saying Hindley could be "very manipulative". He told the Daily Mail: "When I visited a few months later, Rose's opinion of Hindley had changed dramatically. She was saying, 'You have to watch Hindley, mind. She is very manipulative. You don't realise it, but she gets you doing stuff for her. Oh, she's clever, all right. She's flippin' dangerous, that one. She ain't going to take me for a c*** again.' And so heralded the end of the romance." 'Prison matriarch' West was reportedly enjoying a 'middle class' life behind bars in November 2017. She spent her days listening to The Archers, baking cakes and getting foot massages. Having taken a hairdressing and beauty therapy course, West started cutting her own hair in a short, feathered style, dyed dark brown at HMP Low Newton, County Durham, according to reports at the time. She also provided a hairdressing service to other prisoners, although she was only allowed to use blunt-nosed scissors under prison rules. Despite rumours West was suffering from a life-threatening illness, a prison insider said: "There's nothing wrong with her, more's the pity. But it's hardly surprising, is it? She's treated like royalty in there." West spent most of her time on F-Wing, along with other women prisoners serving life and long-term sentences, in her own en-suite cell, complete with curtains at the window, a 'fluffy rug' on the floor and a coffee machine, TV and radio. According to sources in the jail, West liked to see herself as the prison matriarch. "She is always very welcoming to new convicts and often befriends some of the harder cases coming into the prison," said a second source. "Despite her years in prison, she has always maintained her innocence and encourages others to fight their cases if they also claim they are not guilty. She sees herself as a barrack-room lawyer and will spend a lot of time helping people with legal problems." Bake-off winner The notorious killer won first prize in a prison bake-off competition with a Victorian sponge cake, it was reported in October 2018. West impressed fellow prisoners with her offering, and her sweet treat was voted the best in the contest, which was held among inmates in Low Newton Prison's F-Wing in County Durham. Despite her horrific crimes, West enjoyed baking cakes and was reportedly allowed to use knives under the supervision of staff. A source told the Daily Star she used her skills in the kitchen to win over lags, claiming: "West uses her cooking skills to win people over. "There are some very violent women on the wing, and a lot of them are very aggressive towards West because of her crimes. But she tends to defuse situations by offering other prisoners cakes and biscuits." Obesity struggle In February 2019, it was reported that West was "dangerously overweight" after ballooning to 18 stone. She was told to lose weight by doctors or face an early death, so she chose a ketogenic diet in a bid to lose excess fat, according to reports. Her unhealthy diet behind bars consisted of cake, crisps and chocolate, but she was told to ditch the sugary treats for more nutritious foods such as fish, salads and vegetables to see her health improve. Medics said West suffers from high blood pressure and risks developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. "West has been told on a number of occasions that she is dangerously overweight," one jail source told The Daily Star. "She has opted to go on the keto diet, which promises rapid weight loss quickly if you stick strictly to the rules. She is so heavy that she is often out of breath and sometimes has to have help getting off the toilet." West could only have 20g of carbohydrates a day and was told not to consume more than 1,500 calories daily. Prison move after killer threat West was moved out of her cushy prison cell after more than a decade in July 2019 because another notorious serial killer threatened to murder her. West burst into tears as prison chiefs packed up her belongings for a secret transfer after psycho stabber Joanna Dennehy was moved to the same jail. Insiders at top-security Low Newton, where West has been held for more than 10 years, said she was gutted to lose her easy life. But jail bosses feared Dennehy, who stabbed three men to death, would carry out a similar attack on West after saying: "I'll kill that bitch." The double transfer was carried out amid high security because prison bosses did not want them in the same jail. A source said, "Rose West lived a life of luxury in there. She's got it made because she's in the lifers' unit. She doesn't even leave her cell, and they bring food to her. So she was gutted when she had to leave. She was in tears, and the prison officers just packed her things up. She was really upset. "She didn't want to go. It's been her home for more than ten years, and West is an elderly woman. Low Newton is the highest security prison for women in the country, and they had to send Dennehy there. She's one of the UK's most dangerous inmates. She said, 'Send me there and I'll f***ing kill Rose West.' Prison officials took the threat seriously. They moved West to another prison because they said it was a massive security threat." Strictly fan West is said to be a huge fan of some of the nation's biggest celebrity talent shows. The serial killer is a huge fan on both Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice, according to reports. In 2021, it was revealed that West has been watching the ITV skating contest from prison every week and getting her friends to cast votes for her. A source told The Sun: "Rose is a huge fan. Every weekend, she clears a slot in her evening to watch the latest episode - it's a big part of her prison life. She's got a friend outside prison who she chats to and who makes the call to put a vote in for Rose. If you were the dancer she was backing, it'd be enough to send a shiver down your spine." Underwear sale Last month, the Mirror reported that West's underwear was on display at the True Crime Museum in Hastings after its curator splashed an extraordinary £2,500 on a pair of the murderer's knickers. Museum curator Joel Griggs managed to get hold of the undergarments after they were discovered at HMP Bronzefield – Europe's largest women's prison and current residence of Lucy Letby – where West was incarcerated for four years until 2008. Joel shared: "A prison worker retrieved them from a laundry basket and later offered them to us for a ridiculous amount of money, which we turned down at the time. Tiny squares of material from the knickers were then offered for sale on eBay, but because the sale contravened eBay's rules and procedures, the items were taken down and the sale never proceeded. On the underwear, you can see small biro marks which the seller planned to cut around to sell off bit by bit. "When our tenth anniversary came round, I thought it would be worth contacting the prison worker, now retired, again, which I did, and that resulted in us buying them for £2,500."
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Chilling home video shows Fred West and his wife Rose smiling as they cycle in the countryside with their children
Riding bicycles over hilly tracks, wading through rambling streams and with children excitedly running off in different directions, they look like an ordinary family enjoying a day trip to the countryside. Yet these are the home videos of Fred and Rose West - Britain's most notorious and sadistic serial killers. The eerie footage, seen publicly for the first time, features in Netflix 's new three-part documentary which goes behind the scenes to reveal how the depraved couple's horrific crimes were uncovered. The extraordinary family archive appears alongside chilling police footage of the moments West began giving up the secrets of 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester. Over a series of visits, West coldly points out where he has hidden the bodies of the vulnerable young women who were held captive, raped and tortured at the infamous address which would become known as the 'House of Horrors'. He couldn't look more relaxed with a cigarette in hand. At times he has a smile on his face or is cracking jokes. It would later emerge that over 20 years the couple murdered at least 12 young women including two of their own children. Nine were dismembered and buried under the cellar and the garden patio at Cromwell Street by builder West. West cheated justice after hanging himself while on remand on January 1 1995. But his voice is heard from beyond the grave in a series of taped police interviews during which he slowly begins to reveal details of his horrific crimes in a chilling matter-of-fact way. The monster at first claimed Rose knew nothing about the crimes and insisted he was solely responsible. But the documentary - called Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story - highlights the dramatic falling out between the couple after Rose snubbed her husband when they appeared in court for the first time four months after the investigation began. The newly uncovered police interviews show how West's tone strikingly changed as he began to believe he was being betrayed by his twisted partner in crime. In one taped interview he said in his distinctive West Country accent: 'You know what Rose is doing now? Distancing me and her. 'See, I'm beginning to wonder, did Rose have any love towards me at all? Or was I somebody there to use all the time? 'I was an easy touch - do as I'm told and not interfere.' Asked by a detective if there was any other person common to the 12 bodies he replied: 'Well, it's obvious there is somebody else. 'The reason I could not tell the truth is because I'm protecting somebody. I can't say it no plainer than that.' He went on to add: 'If I'm to have any chance in this case at all, I've got to go back and tell the truth. Why should I take the rap? 'Rose broke every promise she made to me but I did none of it on my own.' Rose too is heard - in secret recordings from bugging devices police placed in the safe house where she was taken with her two oldest children after West was first arrested while police began digging up the garden at Cromwell Street. In one taped interview, West, speaking with his distinctive West Country accent, lamented how Rose was distancing herself from him Rose West's voice is also heard in secret recordings made by police bugging devices while she was held in a safe house with her two oldest children during the investigation She gives little away but at one point, after learning West was beginning to confess, she is heard saying: 'He's telling her everything. It won't make any difference. You'll never get a confession for something I haven't done.' The voices of the evil killers stand in stark contrast to the sometimes tearful accounts of the victims' loved ones and the police officers and professionals whose lives remain haunted by the couple's crimes. The probe began as a missing persons case in February 1994. Concerns had been raised over the whereabouts of the couple's daughter Heather. Heather, who was born in October 1970, was the couple's first child together. Police were called in after the couple's younger children chillingly began to reveal what had become 'a family joke'. Detective Constable Russ Williams of Gloucester Police said: 'It was alleged by the children that if they misbehaved, they would end up under the patio like their sister Heather.' When first interviewed by Detective Constable Hazel Savage, West laughed the claims off and urged police to 'carry on digging'. But within 24 hours, possibly to deflect officers from discovering other remains, he contacted detectives saying: 'You better take me to the police station. I have killed Heather but you're digging in the wrong place.' He went on to confess he had lost control then strangled his daughter with a piece of electric flex to 'make sure' she was dead. West described how he had cut up Heather's body with a kitchen knife. Outlining the confession his solicitor Howard Ogden said: 'A man is describing murdering and dismembering his daughter. 'It wasn't with floods of tears and distress and anxiety. It was simply a black-and-white set of facts. 'When the tape finished, all of us present in that interview just rose and went to a tiny little tea area, and we just had a group hug. 'Complete strangers, never met one another - silent group hug.' Harrowing footage later shows West in a seemingly cheerful mood as he used his feet to indicate the spot where his daughter was buried. Janet Leach was appointed West's 'appropriate adult' over concerns over his ability to understand the proceedings. Describing the visit she said: 'It was really strange. It was dark. It was raining. 'He was upset about the state of his garden, more so than anything. 'He just sort of kept looking at me and winking as if it was some sort of game.' When she asked him why he had looked at her like that, West hinted at more horrors. Describing another part of the garden he replied mischievously: 'Didn't you see that bone sticking out? It's just by the back door.' In his formal interviews, West continued to insist Heather was the only victim but dropped further hints to Janet, with whom he would confide throughout the investigation. She would go on to become a key prosecution witness in Rose's trial the following year. Tragically, the discovery of Heather's remains was only the beginning. It would later emerge Heather was killed in 1987 and was the last of the couple's known victims. As more bones were uncovered, West admitted to two further killings. He told how remains discovered under the garden patio belonged to Shirley Robinson, an 18-year-old lodger who was eight months pregnant with West's child when he murder her. She was last seen alive in 1978. The third victim, who West knew only as 'Shirley's mate', was Alison Chambers, who had lived in a children's home and disappeared aged 16 in 1979. When their remains were discovered West insisted that was the end of it, telling police: 'You can take it all apart, there ain't nothing else.' But when police began focusing on the Cromwell Street cellar he told Janet and a legal advisor: 'There's a f****** load more.' In a hand-written note to detectives he went on to admit to 'an approx further nine killings'. In another video, West was taken down to the cellar - which had been used as a 'kid's den' as well as a torture chamber - after he had drawn a map for Janet marking the spots where the bodies were buried. When asked by an officer if there were any more bodies other than those indicated, West replied: ''Yeah. Well, I mean, what's one more?' By now, a picture was beginning to emerge of how the couple had preyed on vulnerable young girls and women in order to play out their sexual fantasies. West met Rose in 1969 when she was just 15 and he was 27. Within a month she fell pregnant with Heather. Rose went on to have eight children - some of whom were believed to be fathered by men she had sex with while working as a prostitute. After the couple moved to Cromwell Street, there was a constant stream of young girls, some of whom became lodgers while working for the couple as nannies and doing household chores - as well as satisfying West's depraved lust. A number were runaways while the couple picked up others after trawling around looking for hitchhikers. Investigators concluded West had adapted the shabby three storey semi-detached property to fulfil 'his sexual pleasure'. One room on the middle floor which had its own bar was described as looking like 'the reception room of a seedy hotel' - and was used by Rose when she was having sex with clients. Professor Paul Britton, a forensic psychologist brought in to assist the investigation, told how a flight of stairs led off from the bar area to a bedroom. Examining police footage the professor continued: 'We go from this room up a flight of stairs to a bedroom area. 'On the other side there is a hole in the wall and out of that hole there are cables coming. 'There are microphones and cameras that are run through into the four-poster bedroom, where films and listening can happen.' As police began to try to identify victims, West admitted he would not be able to provide much help. In one interview he said: 'I never actually ever knew their names. 'I didn't want to know their name or make up a name, whatever it was. 'The thing is all these are so mixed up in my mind now, I haven't a clue which is which. 'Yeah, I buried the people, yeah, but I mean it was done quick and a long time ago.' Challenged by DC Savage about having an 'awful smirk on his face' during the interview, West said: 'Every girl I picked up I didn't put in the basement.' Asked where he 'put them' he added laughingly: 'I dropped them off where they wanted to go.' West - described by one expert as 'a cunning man living in a fantasy' said of his victims: 'Each one was their own kinky sex and that's all it was. That's why you probably find it hard, it was their thing they wanted to try, do.' Describing why he carried out the murders he added: 'It was just this urge at the time when they upset me that I went for them - and the whole fear, and this is something that we've got to get into was, the biggest fear that was in me, was Rose finding out I was messing with other women.' Professor Britton said: 'Frederick West seems unmoved by the fact that these people are dead. And what we see are the hallmarks of the sadistic sexual psychopath.' After the horrors off Cromwell Street, police continued to probe missing family members. West was questioned over the disappearance of his first wife Rena Costello who vanished in 1971 aged 26. Footage showed how he went on to take officers to the spot where he had buried her in a field near the Herefordshire village of Much Markle where he had grown up. He later asked officers to return to the scene so he could show them where he buried Ann McFall, a friend of Rena's who had vanished in May 1967 aged 18. It turned out she was West's first known victim and her remains were found with those of their unborn child. The final grim discovery were the remains of Charmaine West who disappeared aged eight in 1971. She was Rena's daughter and her body was discovered under the kitchen foundations at Fred and Rose's former home in Midland Road, Gloucester. Despite his protestations, investigators established she was murdered by Rose in June 1971 while Fred was in prison serving a sentence for theft of car tyres and a vehicle tax disc. Rose too was charged with murder and the couple would not meet until they were reunited at Gloucester Magistrates Court on June 30th 1994. It was clear to onlookers Rose wanted nothing more to do with her husband. Describing the scene at the time a TV reporter who had covered the hearing said: 'When Fred West was escorted into the dock, he leaned forward and touched her shoulder. She didn't acknowledge this gesture. 'There appeared to be no communication between them, Rosemary steadfastly ignoring him. 'Later, when they were taken down, Fred West again tried to lean over and touch his wife's back. This time the prison officer pushed away his hand.' Mr Ogden said in the documentary: 'He imagined that she'd be maybe blowing him a kiss and they might mooch along the bench to be closer in the dock - no.' Rose's lawyer Leo Goatley said: 'The lines were becoming intensely drawn. Fred West's whole situation was falling apart.' DC Williams said of West's dramatic change of tone after the encounter: 'He's starting now to see that this relationship is deteriorating to the point where it may no longer exist - 'Why am I doing this? Why am I taking all the flak?'.' After a dramatic trial at Winchester Crown Court in October 1995, Rose was convicted of all 10 murder charges she faced and was jailed for life. Sentencing Rose, Mr Justice Mantell told her: 'If attention is paid to what I think you will never be released.' Rose, now 71, is serving her sentence in HM Prison New Hall, West Yorkshire. A year after her trial the house in Cromwell Street was demolished.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Fred and Rose West – A British Horror Story review: Netflix delivers a true crime tale of Nithari-level nastiness; a deeply upsetting peek at pure evil
In this era of exploitative true crime television, Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story stands out as being unusually restrained. But this depends entirely on your ability to resist googling the sordid scandal that inspired it. The show will work only for those who aren't familiar with the case; anybody who remembers reading about it in the papers will probably wonder what made the filmmakers omit crucial details. Nevertheless, Fred and Rose West is an unusually well-made piece of true crime TV; it circles the case, but doesn't circumvent it. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the series was produced by the streamer's UK arm, which has historically been superior to the American (and certainly, the Indian) wings. Fred and Rose West is perhaps the most disturbing documentary of its kind that the streamer has released since 2019's Tell Me Who I Am, another British production. The show recounts the horrific revelations of Fred West, a middle-aged man who lived with his wife, Rose, in an unremarkable house in Gloucester. The couple had a history of run-ins with the law, but were let off for one reason or another. Their children — over half-a-dozen of them — spent time in and out of government care. During one of these periods away from home, comments made by them about their missing elder sister Heather raised suspicion among authorities, who began investigating her disappearance. What they discovered sent shockwaves across Britain, revealing a peek inside the mind of true evil. Also read – American Manhunt – Osama bin Laden review: Netflix series could lowkey be a CIA-funded propaganda piece, but it's undeniably thrilling It was discovered that Fred West murdered his own daughter many years ago, and buried her dismembered remains in the back garden of his 25 Cromwell Street home — this would later become known as the 'House of Horrors'. Gradually, more human remains were discovered in the backyard, and Fred readily admitted to having committed the crimes with an eerie eagerness. Audio recordings of his interrogations reveal him to be a cold-blooded psychopath — a man who speaks about performing unspeakable acts of horror with the matter-of-factness of somebody telling a gardener where to plant a bunch of chrysanthemums. It is, beyond a doubt, a story of Nithari-level depravity. But, for some reason, Fred West isn't as well-known a serial killer as, say, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, or John Wayne Gacy. Hollywood has an influence over culture of all forms, it would seem. But, then again, it's likely that the average Western consumer of true crime isn't familiar with the Nithari killings either. It feels strange to point out this imbalance in representation, but there you go. The crimes of Fred and Rose West, and the methods through which they carried them out, also reveal the gaps in the investigation that was carried out at the time. They were kidnapping and killing women in broad daylight, red flags about their actions had summarily been ignored by the police several times before. The show doesn't raise questions about this negligence, although it underlines the survivor's guilt felt by the sole woman who escaped their clutches. The show only reveals a part of what they did, bringing together solicitors, police officers, and members of the victims' families to paint a rather holistic picture of the story. But the context provided is undeniably selective. Why they decided to withhold certain details is a purely speculative subject, but it boggles the mind to imagine how much more scarring the series would've been had the show delved into Fred and Rose's past in more detail. It's like making a series about the Nithari killings but leaving out the cannibalism part. You're bound to wonder… Throughout the investigation, Fred insisted that he operated alone. Commentators featured in the show — a psychologist, various journalists and lawyers — described his relationship with Rose, messed up as it was, as true love. He was trying to protect her. But the police were determined to find evidence to prove that she was equally culpable. There is, of course, indication that she was essentially groomed into villainy by Fred — they met when she was just 15, and he was nearly 30. But, in many ways, Rose's story is more scandalous than even that of Fred. While his actions can impatiently be blamed on his warped psychology, Rose was conditioned into becoming the monster that she was. Again, the show barely scratches the tip of the iceberg on this front. Read more – American Nightmare review: Netflix true crime documentary revisits real-life Gone Girl case with sensitivity, not sensationalism Directed by Dan Dewsbury, Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story is a serviceable documentary that diligently avoids the cliches of the true crime genre. But, in its efforts to present a level-headed and well-rounded account of the story, it leaves out several crucial aspects. Whether this was a deliberate attempt to de-sensationalise a sensitive chapter of recent British history is up for debate. It could just as easily be a blatant case of tampering with the narrative. After all, the show also neglects to investigate (or even report) the impact that the Wests' actions had on their surviving children. Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story is upsetting, but not as upsetting as Fred and Rose West's Wikipedia page. Fred and Rose West – A British Horror Story review: Director – Dan Dewsbury Rating – 3/5 Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Fred and Rose West's death house now as locals haunted by 'strange energy'
Fred and Rose West's "House of Horrors" at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, was demolished in 1996 and the land was turned into a walkway, but locals say they still feel a "strange energy" The site where Fred and Rose West 's infamous "House of Horrors" once stood has been transformed, but locals say they're still too petrified to go near it. Notorious English serial killer Fred West committed at least 12 murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, along with his second wife, Rose West. As the scene of many of the gruesome killings, their house - 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester - earned the chilling nickname the "House of Horrors". In 1996, the house was demolished, and the land was converted into a walkway. However, nearly three decades later, locals claim to still sense a "strange energy" when passing by. Patsy Dooley, who resides just a five-minute stroll from Cromwell Street, admits she steers clear of the path. "It feels very strange there," Patsy said. "There's a very eerie, strange energy, almost cold. "Everyone I know says the same, I haven't met one person who doesn't feel strange walking past or down the walkway. "Everyone knows what happened there, so I think it naturally makes you feel uncomfortable when you walk past or walk down there. I personally don't like to walk down it, I walk around instead." Between 1967 and 1987, the depraved couple tortured, raped, and murdered at least 12 young women, including two of their own children. The disappearance of their daughter Heather led police to secure a warrant to search the garden of the Cromwell Street house in 1994. Further excavations at the site revealed multiple bodies buried beneath the patio and cellar. In 1994, the infamous duo was apprehended. Fred West faced 12 murder charges, yet cheated justice by taking his own life in his cell prior to standing trial; while Rose received a lifetime jail sentence in 1995. Patsy recalls growing up hearing whispers about the notorious House of Horrors and the couple's heinous acts. The chilling tale has resurfaced on screens through the Netflix documentary 'Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story', which dropped last week. Now 34, Patsy shared: "I watched the documentary on Thursday, but I've always been familiar with the story as I have lived here all my life and we all knew the story about it growing up." Meanwhile, one of the few people to visit Fred and Rose West's home after their brutal murders has shared her horror upon stepping inside the infamous property. Acting as West's appropriate adult, Janet Leach was required to attend police interviews alongside him, as he was deemed to be vulnerable due to his learning difficulties and inability to read or write. Janet could be seen watching on as Fred West tried to show police where he had buried some of his victims, she shared the lasting impact of bearing witness to the surreal ordeal: "It was awful, I could smell it." And she couldn't escape the ghastly odour when she returned home later that day, with it still playing on her mind as she tried to sleep: "When I went to sleep at night, I could smell it."
