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Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Paedophile child killer Sidney Cooke, 98, likely to die behind bars as 'totally remorseless' predator loses latest bid for freedom
Britain's most notorious paedophile Sidney Cooke has failed in his latest attempt to be freed from jail. At the age of 96, he became the oldest prisoner to have a parole hearing, during which he was denied freedom or the opportunity to move to an open prison. He will now likely die behind bars but his sentence has left him 'totally remorseless', a source told the Sun. The source said: 'Cooke will be devastated, though it is clearly the right decision. 'He is totally remorseless and not rehabilitated at all. People like him will never change.' Cooke, from Hackney, east London, was convicted of manslaughter in 1989 over the death of 14-year-old Jason Swift. Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell were also jailed in 1989 for Jason's manslaughter. Cooke was also named in court as the leader of a paedophile ring, which was linked to the death of Mark Tildesley, seven, who went missing in 1984. His remains have never been found. Cooke and his gang are suspected of the abduction and killing of 17 boys in the 70s and 80s. Many of these remain unsolved. Nicknamed 'Hissing Sid', Cooke's gang was known as the 'Dirty Dozen'. Operating from a flat on the Kingsmead estate in Hackney, east London, the gang hired rent boys or snatched children off the streets and subjected them to sexual torture. Cooke travelled the country preying on vulnerable youngsters, setting up his children's Test Your Strength machine in fairgrounds and using this as an opportunity to lure boys before drugging them and subjecting them to brutal assaults He was released from jail in April 1999, after serving nine years for the manslaughter of teenager Jason Swift in 1985. After his release he was immediately taken into voluntary custody for his own safety. However detectives, convinced he was responsible for other similar unsolved crimes, kept his file open. Within months Cooke was accused of abusing two teenage brothers he befriended while working on fairgrounds more than 30 years ago. He was also accused of the rape of a young woman. In an unexpected move during his 1999 trial at Manchester Crown Court, Cooke suddenly changed his plea to guilty and admitted ten offences against the youngsters and subsequently received two life sentences. Four charges of rape, a further three of indecent assault and one of buggery were left on the court file. Cooke has been linked to some of the most horrific child sex murders in the last 50-years through his association with Dirty Dozen members Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell. This latest bid for release was his twelfth parole hearing. A spokesperson for the Parole Board told the Sun: 'We can confirm that a panel refused the release of Sidney Cooke following a paper review. 'The panel also refused to recommend a move to open prison. 'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. 'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims. 'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'
The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Totally remorseless' killer paedophile Sidney Cooke FAILS in bid to be released from prison aged 98
KILLER paedophile Sidney Cooke has failed in a jail release bid aged 98. The oldest UK lag to have a parole hearing was denied freedom — or a move to open prison. 4 4 4 The former fairground worker was part of a paedophile gang jailed over the 1985 killing of abducted Jason Swift, 14, in Hackney, East London. He was released in 1998, but jailed for life soon after for abusing two brothers in the 1970s. His paedophile 'Dirty Dozen' gang was suspected of abducting and killing 17 boys. A source said: ' Cooke will be devastated, though it is clearly the right decision. 'He is totally remorseless and not rehabilitated at all. 'People like him will never change.' It was his twelfth release bid. And a spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel refused the release of Sidney Cooke following a paper review. 'The panel also refused to recommend a move to open prison. 'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. 'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims. 'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.' 4 Prolific paedophile SIDNEY Cooke is one of Britain's most infamous paedophiles, known for leading a gang of child abusers responsible for some of the country's most horrific crimes. Born in 1927, Cooke worked as a fairground worker, travelling across the UK with his 'Test Your Strength' machine. This job allowed him to move frequently and target vulnerable boys, often gaining their trust with sweets and promises of fairground rides. Cooke was the ringleader of a group later dubbed the 'Dirty Dozen,' a gang of paedophiles who preyed on young boys, often those from troubled backgrounds or living on the streets. Operating out of a flat in Hackney's Kingsmead estate, the gang lured, drugged, and raped children, sometimes leading to their deaths. His most infamous crime was the brutal abuse and murder of 14-year-old Jason Swift in 1985. Cooke and his gang took turns sexually assaulting Jason after each paying £5. When Jason died from the abuse, they dumped his body in Essex. Cooke was convicted of Jason's manslaughter in 1989 and sentenced to 19 years, though he served only nine before being released in 1998. His release sparked public outrage, and within months, police arrested him again for abusing two teenage brothers in the 1970s. In 1999, Cooke pleaded guilty to ten charges, including rape and indecent assault, and received two life sentences. Now in his late 90s, Cooke remains in prison. Detectives believe he and his gang may be linked to up to 17 child murders, including the disappearance of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley, whose body has never been found.
