Kenneth Erskine
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Erskine is an English
serial killer
who became known as the Stockwell Strangler.
mother and Antiguan
father. He was abandoned by both parents during childhood and attended various special schools.
During 1986, Erskine murdered at least seven elderly people, breaking into their homes and strangling them; most often they were sexually assaulted. The crimes took place in London
.
His first victim was Mrs Eileen Emms (78), of Wandsworth
, who died on 9 April 1986. Her death was originally not believed to have been murder, and it was only established that she had been murdered when a television
set was detected missing from her flat. A post mortem examination revealed that she had been rape
d and strangled.
His second victim was Mrs Janet Cockett (67), who died on 9 June 1986 after being strangled in her flat on the Wandsworth housing estate on which she was chairwoman of the tenants association. Erskine's palm print was found on a window at Mrs Cockett's flat.
On 28 June 1986, Erskine claimed his third and fourth victims (both men) at a residential home in Stockwell. His victims were Polish
pensioners Valentine Gleim (84) and Zbigniew Strabawa (94). Both men were sexually assaulted and strangled.
Erskine's fifth victim was Mr William Carmen (84), of Islington. He stole money from Mr Carmen's flat before molesting him and strangling him to death in an attack on 8 July 1986.
He claimed his sixth victim on 21 July 1986, when he committed a similar fatal attack on 74-year-old Mr William Downes in a Stockwell bedsit.
The final victim was Mrs Florence Tisdall, an 83-year-old widow who lived at a retirement complex in Fulham
. She was found dead by the caretaker on the morning of 23 July 1986.
abuser, Erskine was 22-23 years old when he committed the crimes. He was convicted of seven murders. During his trial, he was seen to be masturbating.
Police suspected Erskine of four other murders. These include the murder of Wilfred Parkes (aged 81, at Stockwell, on 2 June 1986) and Trevor Thomas (aged 75, at Lambeth
, on 21 July 1986). Erskine has never been charged with any of these murders.
It was clear to the police that all these attacks were the work of one man. There were no signs of forced entry, with every indication that the intruder had gained access through an unsecured window. In each case it appeared that the killer had knelt on the victims' chests, and then placed his left hand over their mouths whilst he used his right hand to grip their throats and strangle them to death. In addition, four of the victims had been sodomized, although there was some uncertainty as to whether this had taken place before or after death.
Erskine was sentenced to life imprisonment
with a recommended minimum term of 40 years, but has since been found to be suffering from mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983, and is therefore now held at the maximum security Broadmoor Hospital
. He is unlikely to be freed until at least 2028 and the age of 65. Some 20 years later, the trial judge's recommendation is still one of the severest ever handed out in British
legal history.
In July 2009, following an appeal, Erskine's murder convictions were reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who became known as the Stockwell Strangler.
Early life
Erskine was born in July 1963 to an EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mother and Antiguan
Antiguan
Antiguan may refer to:* Something of, or related to Antigua. See also the country, Antigua and Barbuda.* A person from Antigua, or of Antiguan descent. For information about the Antiguan people, see Demographics of Antigua and Barbuda and Culture of Antigua and Barbuda. For specific Antiguans, see...
father. He was abandoned by both parents during childhood and attended various special schools.
Crimes
Erskine's criminal career began with a number of burglaries, and he was able to open ten separate bank accounts with the proceeds of his crimes.During 1986, Erskine murdered at least seven elderly people, breaking into their homes and strangling them; most often they were sexually assaulted. The crimes took place in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
His first victim was Mrs Eileen Emms (78), of Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, who died on 9 April 1986. Her death was originally not believed to have been murder, and it was only established that she had been murdered when a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
set was detected missing from her flat. A post mortem examination revealed that she had been rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d and strangled.
His second victim was Mrs Janet Cockett (67), who died on 9 June 1986 after being strangled in her flat on the Wandsworth housing estate on which she was chairwoman of the tenants association. Erskine's palm print was found on a window at Mrs Cockett's flat.
On 28 June 1986, Erskine claimed his third and fourth victims (both men) at a residential home in Stockwell. His victims were Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
pensioners Valentine Gleim (84) and Zbigniew Strabawa (94). Both men were sexually assaulted and strangled.
Erskine's fifth victim was Mr William Carmen (84), of Islington. He stole money from Mr Carmen's flat before molesting him and strangling him to death in an attack on 8 July 1986.
He claimed his sixth victim on 21 July 1986, when he committed a similar fatal attack on 74-year-old Mr William Downes in a Stockwell bedsit.
The final victim was Mrs Florence Tisdall, an 83-year-old widow who lived at a retirement complex in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
. She was found dead by the caretaker on the morning of 23 July 1986.
Investigation and Trial
A homeless drifter and solventInhalant
Inhalants are a broad range of drugs whose volatile vapors are taken in via the nose and trachea. They are taken by volatilization, and do not include drugs that are inhaled after burning or heating...
abuser, Erskine was 22-23 years old when he committed the crimes. He was convicted of seven murders. During his trial, he was seen to be masturbating.
Police suspected Erskine of four other murders. These include the murder of Wilfred Parkes (aged 81, at Stockwell, on 2 June 1986) and Trevor Thomas (aged 75, at Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, on 21 July 1986). Erskine has never been charged with any of these murders.
It was clear to the police that all these attacks were the work of one man. There were no signs of forced entry, with every indication that the intruder had gained access through an unsecured window. In each case it appeared that the killer had knelt on the victims' chests, and then placed his left hand over their mouths whilst he used his right hand to grip their throats and strangle them to death. In addition, four of the victims had been sodomized, although there was some uncertainty as to whether this had taken place before or after death.
Erskine was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
with a recommended minimum term of 40 years, but has since been found to be suffering from mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983, and is therefore now held at the maximum security Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
. He is unlikely to be freed until at least 2028 and the age of 65. Some 20 years later, the trial judge's recommendation is still one of the severest ever handed out in British
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
legal history.
In July 2009, following an appeal, Erskine's murder convictions were reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.