Latest news with #MalcolmFairley
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Serial rapist with chilling 'The Fox' nickname dead in prison as cause emerges
Malcolm Fairley was one of the UK's worst serial rapists, nicknamed 'The Fox', and died in prison last year - his cause of death has now been revealed following an inquest hearing One of the UK's worst serial rapists died of a heart attack while serving six life sentences after carrying out a string of horrific attacks across five counties, it has been revealed. Malcolm Fairley was nicknamed The Fox due to the way he used to make a den inside people's homes before coming out at night to attack them. He was jailed in 1985 and spent nearly 40 years behind bars until his death last May. He had carried out sex attacks in 1984 across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, sparking one of the largest manhunts in British criminal history with more than 200 officers tasked with hunting him down. The 71-year-old was found dead at HMP Hull on May 28, 2024 and an inquest at Hull Coroner's Court heard the provisional cause of his death was a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. The coroner has delayed a full hearing due to a prison investigation. Assistant coroner Sarah Middleton told the court she wanted to hear evidence of what happened during the night shift at the prison at the time of Fairley's death. The court heard Fairley had been "dead for quite sometime" before he was found. The date for a full inquest is yet to be fixed. At the height of Fairley's offending in the summer of 1984 he attacked three women in one week. He would wear masks and brandish a shotgun to commit violent rapes and indecent assaults. He used to break into people's home, cook himself meals and watch TV, walking around their homes collecting trinkets and trophies before hiding by building a den from furniture and blankets, He would also remove all light bulbs and wait in the dark, and was known for flicking through his victims' family photo albums by torchlight before they returned. Fairley also committed multiple break-ins and sexual crimes in South Yorkshire as well as his native North East. He was eventually arrested in September 1984 at his home in Kentish Town, north London. He was tracked down after forensic evidence at a crime scene was linked his car. At the time of his arrest, Fairley had committed 81 offences. Fairley's victims included both men and women, who were aged from teenagers to pensioners. He was later sentenced at St Albans Crown Court in 1985 to serve six life sentences behind bars. In a recent ITN documentary, retired Detective Chief Supt Brian Prickett, who led the investigation into his Fairley's raft of crimes back in the 80s, said: "Malcolm Fairley should never come out of prison after all the fear and harm he put into the community. "He never deserves to be released because I think he's still a real risk to the public."
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Depraved serial rapist known as The Fox because he broke into homes and made secret dens before emerging died of a heart attack in his cell
One of Britain's most notorious sex attackers who targeted more than a dozen victims in 1984 has died from a heart attack in prison, an inquest has heard. Malcolm Fairley, who became known as 'The Fox' for the way he built lairs in targets' homes so he could lie in wait before attacking them, carried out a series of sex attacks across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. He was finally caught in September 1984 after sparking one of the largest manhunts in British criminal history. Fairley was handed six life sentences the following year and has remained behind bars ever since. However, it has been heard at an inquest at Hull Coroner's Court that 71-year-old was found dead at HMP Hull on May 28, 2024, reports the BBC. The provisional cause of his death was a myocardial infarction, or heart attack, but assistant coroner Sarah Middleton could not conclude the inquest due to a prison investigation. Ms Middleton adjourned the inquest for a later date, which is yet to be fixed, as she told the court she wanted to hear evidence of what happened during the night shift at the prison at the time of Fairley's death. Fairley had been 'dead for quite sometime' before he was found, the court heard. Fairley with his head under a blanket being led away by police after being arrested His crimes were carried out in the hot summer of 1984, when national tensions were inflamed amidst the ongoing miners' strike. Fairley's victims included both men and women, ranging in age from teenagers to pensioners. He would break into victims' homes, help himself to food and drink and then build a lair out of furniture and blankets. He would also remove all light bulbs and then wait in the dark, flicking through victims' family photo albums by torchlight before they returned. At the height of his crimes, there were three attacks in the space of a week. In a Channel 5 documentary aired last April, The Intruder: He's Watching You, Fairley is heard being asked by Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Prickett, who led the investigation that led to his capture, if he tried to stop. He replied: 'Well I tried to. Many times. Every time I went I tried.' Fairley was then asked by another officer: 'Do you still feel you want to do it?' He said: 'Not really, it's... but I still... get a sexy drive type thing.' Asked by DCS Prickett about an attack he carried out on an elderly woman, he said: 'Well, I felt disappointed in myself to do it. You know, like it's... it just weren't me.' Bedfordshire Police ended up with more than 5,000 suspects and terrified residents resorted to sleeping with weapons under their beds, fearing that they might be next during the four-month spree. Fairley, who wore a mask made from a trouser leg, also committed break-ins and sexual crimes in Milton Keynes, South Yorkshire and his native North East. He was eventually arrested in at home in Kentish Town, North London, after forensic evidence linked his car to an attack. At the time of his arrest he had committed 81 offences as 'The Fox'. He had a string of previous convictions to his name and was the father of three children from his two marriages. In one break-in, he stole a shotgun and ammunition and later used the weapon in other attacks, including in one where he shot a businessman at point-black range. The victim had to have his finger amputated. DCS Prickett added: 'Psychiatrists said that he was rational and that he was normal. 'Well, I never accepted that. As a police officer, you deal with him professionally, but as a human being to human being, you've got complete disgust, you've got almost hatred. 'I don't think I'll ever understand the motivation he had for the attacks he carried out.' After sentencing Fairley to six life sentences, following his trial at St Albans Crown Court in February 1985, Mr Justice Caulfield said: 'There are degrees of wickedness beyond condemnatory description. 'Your crimes fall within this category. You desecrated and defiled men and women in their own homes.' On February 27, 1985, the Daily Mail revealed Fairley's mugshot and declared: 'The Fox - evil beyond words.' Fairley admitted 13 offences - three rapes, an indecent assault on a man and another on a 74-year-old woman, five burglaries and three aggravated burglaries with intent to rape while carrying a firearm. He also asked for 68 other crimes, mostly burglaries, to be considered. An 18-year-old girl who was among his victim said in the Daily Mail after he was convicted: 'I felt as if there was no one I could turn to and began crying and screaming. 'Memories of that night were always with me, yet no one seemed to realise what was happening inside my head. 'Eventually I could take no more and completely cracked up.' In a three-hour ordeal, Fairley tried to force the young woman - who he had raped - to carry out sex acts with her 21-year-old boyfriend and 17-year-old brother.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Sex attacker Malcolm 'The Fox' Fairley died from heart attack
Sex attacker dubbed 'The Fox' died of heart attack 9 minutes ago Share Save Pritti Mistry BBC News Share Save Getty Images Malcolm Fairley committed violent and sexual attacks across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, as well as in South Yorkshire and the north-east A serial sex attacker dubbed "The Fox" died from a heart attack in prison, an inquest has heard. Malcolm Fairley was sentenced to six life terms in 1985 after carrying out a series of sex attacks across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, sparking one of the largest manhunts in British criminal history. The 71-year-old was found dead at HMP Hull on 28 May 2024. An inquest at Hull Coroner's Court earlier heard the provisional cause of his death was a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. However, assistant coroner Sarah Middleton could not conclude the inquest because of a prison investigation and has adjourned it for a later date, which is yet to be fixed. Ms Middleton told the court she wanted to hear evidence of what happened during the night shift at the prison at the time of Fairley's death. The court heard Fairley had been "dead for quite sometime" before he was found and the assistant coroner was waiting for the outcome of an investigation. Bedfordshire Police The serial sex attacker prompted one of the largest manhunts in British criminal history Fairley was nicknamed The Fox because he would build dens in the houses he broke into while waiting for the occupants to return. He prepared and ate meals in their homes, watched television and collected trophies before committing violent attacks, including rape and indecent assaults, while masked and brandishing a shotgun. At the height of his offending, in the summer of 1984, there were three attacks in one week. Two hundred officers were involved in the hunt for him. Fairley also committed break-ins and sexual crimes in South Yorkshire and his native north east. He was arrested in September 1984 at his home in Kentish Town, north London, after forensic evidence linked his car to an attack. At the time of his arrest, Fairley had committed 81 offences. It emerged last month he had been eligible for parole board hearings.
