Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe awarded £42,000 of taxpayers’ money to fight court battles
YORKSHIRE Ripper Peter Sutcliffe has received more than £42,000 of taxpayers’ money to fight legal battles behind bars.
The serial killer has repeatedly been granted legal aid to fund a string of civil and criminal cases since 2003, figures obtained by The Sun show.
It includes £21,506 for legal help with mental health cases, including a bid to block his return to prison last year.
Another £3,145 was paid for human rights claims against the prison service and £1,373 on a failed 2008 bid for parole.
Neil Jackson, 59, whose mother Emily was Sutcliffe’s second victim in 1976, fumed: “It’s wrong and it shames our country.”
The figures were revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by The Sun.
More than £16,000 was paid between October 2003 and October 2007 for unspecified criminal matters, dubbed “crime lower”.
It could relate to attacks in prison in which Sutcliffe, 71, who is serving a whole life tariff for 13 murders and seven attempted murders, lost an eye.
But Harry Fletcher, director of Victims Rights Campaign, said it was outrageous he got thousands of pounds “for spurious cases”.
He added: “This shows there is an urgent need to thoroughly revise the provision of legal aid.”
The Legal Aid Agency said: “Legal aid in criminal cases is subject to a strict means test.”
