Arkwright had
lived in children's home and local authority care from a
young age, his entire childhood was very distorted and
disturbed.
Known to
police as a petty criminal, Arkwright had served a 30
month youth
custody sentences for burglary and disorder, he was
frequently at odds with neighbours. He has also served a
6 month jail term.
Anthony
Arkwright, had boasted to friends that one day he would
be as famous as Jack the Ripper.
After getting
the sack from his job, working in a Mexborough
scrapyard, due to a bad attendance record, he went
crazy.
He then started a
56 hour killing spree that earns him the title as a
'Mass murderer'.
Friday
26th August 1988, 4:30pm, After his
sacking,
he went straight to find his grandfather, whom he
believed (incorrectly) was in fact his father, and that
he had been born in an incestuous relationship between
his grandfather and mother.
He attacked
his 68 year old Lithuanian born grandfather Stanislav
Puidokas while he tended to his allotment in Ruskin
Drive, Mexborough. He stabbed him in the neck,
severing an artery, rendering the old man almost
instantaneously unconscious, and then attacked him with
an axe and a lump hammer before locking the body in a
shed.
That night he
visited several pubs in the area, with neighbours, showing his interest
in becoming a public figure, by dropping hints about his
crime. Neighbours later reported that he was behaving in
a very odd was, even for him. By;-
Saturday
27th August 1988, 3am he was now back in Wath, and
entered the flat of his neighbour, 45 year old
ex-teacher Raymond Ford.
Naked, with a
Prince of Darkness devil-mask covering his face, he
stabbed Mr Ford 250 times, plunging his knife into every
part of his body.
He gutted and
disembowelled the corpse with a surgical precision which
criminologists later said was remarkably similar to the
technique used by Jack the Ripper.
Mr Ford's body was discovered three days later at his
Wath home with his entrails draped around the room, some
of his internal organs were scattered around the
corridor and halway.
Four hours
later Arkwright was arrested on suspicion of burglary at
Mr Ford’s house, and was kept in custody before being
released to appear at court the following weekend, at
this stage police had no ideas that Arkwright had become
a murderer only hours before.
Sunday 28th August 1988, Marcus Law died in
a similar frenzied attack at his Denman Road, Wath, home
after an argument. Law was in a wheelchair after a
motorbike accidents, and com0pletely defenceless against
Arkwright.
He was savagely butchered, being stabbed over 70 times,
before being left, with cigarettes stuffed in his mouth
and ears, he also had his eyes gouged out and cigarettes
placed in the sockets. Arkwright said it was revenge for
all the cigarettes Lee had scrounged.
Monday 29th
August 1988, Om a routine visit to see her son,
Marcus Law's mother called round, and discovered the
horrific scene.
Police were
called, they quickly realised that Arkwright was a
suspect, a few hours later he was picked up and arrested
on suspicion of murder.
At this stage
they had little evidence against Arkwright, and he
denied the murder.
Police wanted
to speak to neighbours in particular Raymond Ford who
Arkwright had burgled days earlier. They went to Denham
Road where Arkwright lived to conduct enquiries.
PC David
Winter went to the property of Ford in Denham road,
across the road from Arkwright's flat, there he
discovered the horrific scene, police now knew thy were
looking at double murder.
Arkwright is also suspected of killing his grandfather's
elderly housekeeper Elsa Konradaite, but the case never
reached court and was ordered to lie on his file.
1989,
At Sheffield Crown Court, Anthony Arkwright was jailed
for life, with a recommended minimum term of 25 years.
He showed no
emotion when sentenced, and has to this day never given
any explanation for his actions.
1990,
The Home Secretary reviewed his case and imposed a whole
life sentence.
He is
therefore on the
Home Office list of prisoners, never to be released,
serving a 'Whole life Tariff', see the full list
here >>
19th February 2014,
Arkwright along with killer
Arthur Hutchinson
appealed against the whole life tariff imposed on them,
Three high court judges rejected the appeal, saying the
governments "Whole Life tariff" was completely lawful.
