Wakefield shoe fetish killer denied parole for third time

Christopher Farrow was jailed for life in 2000 with a minimum term of 18 years

A man with a fetish for women's shoes who raped and murdered a Wakefield woman in her own home has been denied parole for a third time.

Christopher Farrow, 61, must remain in prison for at least two more years for the murder of Wendy Speakes in 1994.

Parole Board documents seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) state Farrow is "likely to reoffend" if released from custody.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2000.

During his trial, jurors heard Farrow had put a pair of women's shoes on display during the attack on the 51-year-old as he had a footwear fetish.

According to the LDRS, a report by the Parole Board panel hearing on 31 May listed risk factors "which made it more likely that Mr Farrow would re-offend".

"At the time of his offending, these risk factors had included Mr Farrow's sexual interests, his attitudes concerning women, and problems in his relationship," the report said.

"He had thought a lot about sex and had believed he could have sex as and when he wanted.

"Mr Farrow had also experienced difficulties in managing extremes of emotion."

It added: "At this stage, no key report writer could support Mr Farrow's release on parole licence."

Farrow, from Cookridge, Leeds, was given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 18 years after pleading guilty to murder.

Wendy Speakes, 51, was killed at her home in Wakefield in 1994

Mrs Speakes' daughter, Tracey Millington-Jones, has campaigned for Farrow to never be released.

She told the LDRS that she was "thankful and grateful" that "common sense has prevailed".

"Farrow has never shown any remorse," she said.

"He took a pair of my mother's shoes as a murder trophy and has never revealed where he has hidden them."

She added: "He obviously had a thirst for more as he was out stalking and attempting to get women on their own in their homes within weeks of murdering my lovely mum.

"In my opinion this man could have gone on to be the next Yorkshire Ripper."

After a hearing in 2018 the Parole Board recommended Farrow be moved to an open prison in preparation for release but he was soon returned to a secure prison. In 2020 he was assessed as unsuitable for release.

The father-of-three was caught after a six-year manhunt when advances in fingerprint technology linked him to a partial print found at the scene.

Farrow's fingerprints were taken by police after he was arrested for drink-driving while he was still at large following the murder.