Colin Ireland
| AKA | Gay Slayer |
| DOB | 16 Mar 1954 (Pisces) |
| Occupation | |
| Kill Total | 5 |
| Kill Place | London |
| Kill Date | 1993 |
| M.O. | Torture / Suffocation |
| Victim | See Here >> |
Born in Dartford, Kent, Ireland was raised by his mother after his father left before he was born, his mother being just 17 at the time.
FBI profiler Robert Ressler states in 'Whoever Fights Monsters' that one has to commit five murders to become a serial killer. Colin read the book and used it almost as a manual in his quest to become a serial killer.
He meticulously planned each murder as he set out to become a famous serial killer. He chose gay sado-masochistic men because they were willing to get tied up. Also, he believed that the public would feel less sympathy for them. Before his arrest he taunted the police with rambling calls claiming responsibility for the murders and threatening to keep striking once a week. He even stated "I have got the book, I know how many you have to do..."
Ireland had a history of crime before becoming a serial killer.
1971 – robbery - 2 years borstal
1975 – 2 counts of burglary, stealing a car, damage to property - 18 months prison
1977 – demanding with menace - 18 months: prison
1980 – robbery - 2 years prison
1981 – attempted deception - 2 months prison
1985 – going equipped to cheat - 6 months: prison
Monday 8th March 1993, Peter Walker took Ireland back to his flat in Battersea. There he was bound, and suffocated by a plastic bag over his head.
Ireland placed two teddy bears in a 69 position on the body. He left Walker's dogs locked in another room.
The day after the murder, having heard nothing on the news about the crime, he called a journalist from The Sun newspaper, advising them of the dogs, and that he had murdered their master.
Thursday 20th May 1993, Chris Dunn was a 37-year-old librarian who lived in Wealdstone. Dunn's death was initially believed to be an accident that occurred during an erotic game.
Because he died in a different area from Walker, a different set of police investigators worked on the case. therefore the death was not linked to Walker straight away.
Friday 4th June 1993, Ireland met Perry Bradley III, at the Colherne pub.
The two men went to Bradley's flat, where Ireland suggested that he tie Bradley up. Bradley expressed his displeasure at the idea of sado-masochism. In order to get Bradley to comply, Ireland told Bradley that he was unable to perform sexually without bondage. Bradley cooperated and was soon tied up on his bed, face down, with a noose around his neck.
Ireland then demanded money from him and demanded his debit card PIN under the threat of torture.After Bradley gave Ireland his PIN, which Ireland later used to steal £200, along with £100 in cash stolen from Bradley's flat, Ireland told Bradley that he should go to sleep, as he wouldn't be leaving his flat that night.
Bradley did eventually fall asleep and Ireland pulled the noose that he had earlier attached around Bradley's neck and strangled him. Before leaving Bradley's flat, he placed a doll on top of the dead man's body.
Bradley was described in police reports as heterosexual, this helped in the failure by police to link the different murders.
Monday 7th June 1993, By now Ireland was angry that his crimes had not hit the headlines, so only three days later he went on the prowl again.
Ireland met Collier in a pub, the two went back to Colliers flat in Dalston. After arriving they heard something outside and went to the window, Ireland had put his hands on the iron bar across the window, police were later to find a fingerprint on this, unusually Ireland had missed this in his usually thorough clean up.
Once he had tied up his victim on the bed, Ireland demanded his victim's bank details. His victim refused to comply. Ireland killed Collier's cat in front of him, whilst he was restrained on the bed. Ireland then strangled Collier with a noose, put a condom on Collier's penis and placed the dead cats' mouth over it, he then placed the cat's tail into Collier's mouth.
Ireland left the the Dalston house the following morning with £70 in cash, he also left a clue for the police by putting a condom in Collier's mouth, just as he had done to Walker, thus creating an obvious link between the two murders.
Saturday 12th June 1993, Just five days later, he met 41 year old Emanuel Spiteri, a chef Ireland met in the same pub as he met Collier,.
They went to Spiteri's flat in Hither Green, and as usual Spiteri was persuaded to be cuffed and bound on his bed. Once more, Ireland demanded his bank number but did not obtain it. He again used a noose to kill his victim.
After carrying out his usual post-murder ritual of clearing the scene, Ireland set fire to the flat and left. He then rang the police to tell them to look for a body at the scene of a fire and added that he would probably not kill again, as he had reached 5 victims, enough to classify him as a serial killer.
Police eventually connected all five killings. The murders were widely publicised through the national media and it was quickly known in the gay community and the wider community that a serial killer was specifically targeting gay men.
Police revealed that Spiteri had left the pub and travelled home with his killer by train, a security video successfully captured the two men on the platform at Charing Cross station. Ireland recognised himself and decided to tell police he was the man with Spiteri but not the killer, he claimed to have left Spiteri in the flat with another man. However, police had also found the fingerprints in Collier's flat which matched those of Ireland.
21 July 1993 - charged with Collier’s murder
23 July 1993 - charged with Spiteri’s murder
19 August 1993 – confessed to all five murders
20 August 1993 - charged with the murders of Walker, Dunn and Bradley
19th August 1993, While on remand in prison Ireland initially denied all charges, then on 19th August he decided to confess, telling prison offices, "you better get the police, l am the 'Gay slayer'"
20th August 1993 Ireland appeared at the old Bailey in London, charged with five murders, he confessed to all, and was Sentenced to five counts of life imprisonment
It has been rumoured that Colin Ireland has killed again in prison. It is suggested that he has strangled a convicted child murderer in his cell, but because he was serving life with no possibility of parole it was a waste of time and money to prosecute him. The murder was carried out while Colin was in Wakefield Prison, Yorkshire. Two weeks later, he was moved to Whitemoor Prison, Cambridgeshire.
Colin Irelands is on the Home Office list of prisoner who will serve a 'Whole Life Tariff', see full list here >>
Tuesday 21st February 2012, Colin Ireland dies in the healthcare wing at Wakefield Prison at 9:20am It was reported he died of natural causes.