Stephen Farrow: Psychopathic double-murderer dies in jail

Stephew Farrow was convicted of the two murders in 2012

A double killer who murdered a vicar and a pensioner six weeks apart has died in jail, it has been revealed.

Stephen Farrow, 58, was convicted in 2012 of killing Rev John Suddards and Betty Yates.

Farrow died at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Monday, the Ministry of Justice confirmed.

He killed Ms Yates at her Worcestershire home and then weeks later murdered Rev Suddards at a vicarage in South Gloucestershire.

Diagnosed as a psychopath, Farrow was sentenced to two whole-life terms after a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The court heard how he had an obsession with religion, claimed he had been sexually abused at a boarding school by a priest and wanted to murder the Archbishop of Canterbury.

'Stabbed four times'

He had also threatened to kill "Christian scum" and sent a text message to a friend on New Year's Eve 2011, saying the "church will be the first to suffer".

The jury was told how on 2 January 2012, Farrow broke into Ms Yates' home in Bewdley and struck her from behind with a heavy walking stick.

Ms Yates, a retired teacher, was knocked unconscious and hit her head on the floor before Farrow arranged her body and put a pillow over her head.

He then stabbed her four times before leaving the knife in one of the wounds.

Farrow killed Betty Yates and Rev John Suddards within six weeks of each other

Then, six weeks later, on 13 February, Farrow killed Rev John Suddards after he was let into his vicarage in Thornbury.

Attacked in the doorway by Farrow, Rev Suddards sustained seven deep knife wounds, before telling Farrow he was dying.

The court heard how Farrow told Rev Suddards to "hurry up and die" before watching him deteriorate.

He then drank beer, ate food and watched two DVDs in the vicarage before leaving the following morning.

Rev Suddards' body was discovered the next morning, lying on his back in the hallway.

Ombudsman investigation

He was surrounded by pornography, party poppers, a condom wrapper, underwear, a canvas of Jesus Christ and a mirror, the jury was told.

Farrow denied both murders but admitted Rev Suddards' manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and a separate burglary in a property close to where the vicar lived.

However, jurors found him guilty of both counts of murder and one count of burglary after deliberating for eight and a half hours.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "HMP Frankland prisoner Stephen Farrow died on 21 August.

"As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate."