Yorkshire Ripper's third victim hid devastating secret before murder

09 October 2023 , 18:00

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Peter Sutcliffe's victims and their tragedies are portrayed in ITV's The Long Shadow (Image: Universal Images Group/ Getty Images)

It's one of the biggest and most notorious police investigations in British history, and yet there is still new information being brought to light about the heinous murders of the Yorkshire Ripper today. As ITV's new drama The Long Shadow airs almost 50 years after Peter Sutcliffe brutally killed at least 13 women, families of his victims are now speaking out.

The son of Sutcliffe's third victim, Irene Richardson, has shared how he discovered that he was her biological child long after her tragic death. Irene was 28 years old and working as a prostitute when she was hit over the head three times and stabbed in the neck and stomach by the Ripper, behind a sports pavilion in Roundhay Park on February 6, 1977.

Irene Richardson was murdered by Peter Sutcliffe in Leeds in February 1977

The mum, from Chapeltown, Leeds, was beaten to death with a hammer, then her corpse was mutilated with a knife. The murderer left tyre marks at the scene, sparking a huge police search for the vehicle at the time. Sutcliffe was jailed four years later in 1981, for killing Irene and 12 other women, and attempting to murder another seven. His five-year murderous rampage cast a dark shadow over the lives of women in Yorkshire, right up until Sutcliffe died in hospital in November 2022.

In 2005, Irene's son, Geoff Beattie, discovered who his biological mum actually was and 'felt numb' learning about her horrific death. Geoff was adopted from birth in 1969, and was one of three children to Irene. "I left it for quite some time, but then when I did my research I discovered that my biological mum Irene Richardson was Sutcliffe's third victim," Geoff told the Metro. "I found out that my mum was murdered and that at the time her estranged husband was brought in for questioning."

Geoff discovered he was her biological son and adopted as a baby (Geoff Beattie / SWNS)

He continued: "I felt numb, it was a shock to find out she had passed away because I knew I'd never meet her, but when I found out the details of her murder, it was even more of a shock." Geoff was just seven years old when Irene was killed, although he knew nothing about her or the Yorkshire Ripper. He discovered that his mum was living in a hotel in Blackpool and working as a chambermaid when she was pregnant, so "there was no way she could have kept a child". Geoff believes it was the right decision to give him up for adoption.

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Sutcliffe was finally arrested in January 1981 and he claimed that he was on a 'mission from God' to kill prostitutes, although not all his victims were. At the time, there was a culture of disinterest in the police force over the safety of sex workers, and they were heavily criticised for not believing prostitutes were 'innocent girls'. When Sutcliffe died last year, police issued an apology to the killer's victims for the terminology used. Geoff appreciated the apology and said it was a "good move in the right direction, not just for Sutcliffe, but for a lot of other people who have been through similar trauma".

The Long Shadow airs on ITV1 at 9pm tonight

Nia Dalton