The Peterborough ditch murders were a series of serial murders which took place in Cambridgeshire, England, in March 2013. All three victims were male and died from stab wounds. Their bodies were discovered dumped in ditches outside Peterborough. In Hereford, two other men were stabbed, but survived. The perpetrator was Joanne Christine Dennehy, a Cambridgeshire woman, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order.
Victims
Kevin Lee was a property developer, landlord and lover of Dennehy. He was killed on 29 March 2013, and his body found the next day near Newborough. Dennehy dressed Lee's body in a black sequined dress before dumping his corpse. Lukasz Slaboszewski met Dennehy through a shared interest in drink and drugs, and John Chapman was a housemate of Dennehy. Slaboszewski, a Polish national, was killed on 19 March, and Chapman on 29 March. They were both found on 3 April near Thorney with stab wounds. After the killings, Dennehy was driven by an accomplice, Gary Stretch, to Hereford where she stabbed two men, chosen separately and at random, both of whom survived. Both men were dog walkers; she stole the second's dog. Another man travelling in the car, unwillingly, was later cleared of criminal involvement in the attacks.
Victim selection and motives
Dennehy, a 30-year-old absent mother of two young children at the time of the killings, specifically targeted men during her killing spree, telling her acquaintance Lloyd that she did not wish to kill a woman and especially not a woman with children. Mark Lloyd stated Dennehy had wanted to kill nine men in total, seeking to be like Bonnie and Clyde. Dennehy stabbed men for the purpose of "entertainment", telling Gary Stretch, "I want my fun. I need you to get my fun." She later told a psychiatrist that she had found murder to be "moreish" and that after the first killing she "got a taste for it."
Court proceedings
In November 2013, Dennehy pleaded guilty to all three murders and two further attempted murders. Her sister Maria was unsurprised by the guilty plea and said, "I think she did that to control the situation. She likes people to know she's the boss." Dennehy has been held at HM Prison Bronzefield. Assessing psychiatrists later diagnosed Dennehy with psychopathic, anti-social and borderline personality disorders. Two men, Gary Stretch, 47, and Leslie Layton, 36, stood trial charged with a range of crimes assisting Dennehy. Both decided not to give evidence or face cross-examination. The jury began considering their verdicts on 4 February 2014. On 10 February, Richards was found guilty of attempted murder and Layton was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. On 12 February, Layton and Richards were convicted of all other charges. On 28 February 2014, at the Old Bailey, Dennehy was sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial judge, Mr Justice Spencer, recommended that she should never be released due to the premeditation of each murder. Spencer said further that Dennehy was sadomasochistic, and lacked the normal range of human emotions. Dennehy is believed to be one of just three women in the United Kingdom to be given life imprisonment without parole, after Myra Hindley and Rosemary West.
After the trial
After the trial it emerged that the Probation Service was supervising Dennehy at the time of the murders as she had been convicted of assault and owning a dangerous dog. It was later concluded that the staff dealing with her were inexperienced.
Escape plot
While Dennehy was on remand before the trial, prison staff found an escape plot in her diary. This involved killing or seriously injuring a prison guard, cutting off one of the guard's fingers and using the amputated finger to fool the biometric system in the prison. Because of the plot, Dennehy was placed in solitary confinement from September 2013 to September 2015. She claims isolation left her 'tearful and upset' and led to self harm. The High Court rejected Dennehy's claim that her human rights had been violated. Government lawyers argued isolation was necessary due to the nature of Dennehy's offences and the risk she could pose to the public if she were to escape. Mr Justice Singh found solitary confinement was "in accordance with law at all material times it has been necessary and proportionate". At the time, Dennehy was incarcerated in HMP Bronzefield, Surrey.
Imprisonment
In 2019 Dennehy was moved to Low Newton Prison in County Durham. Upon her arrival she threatened to kill Rosemary West, who had been moved to another prison.
