Rose West's prison life - Myra Hindley 'affair', dangerous diet and name change
Rosemary West is one of the most notorious serial killers in the UK - known for horrifically torturing and murdering at least 10 young girls with her barbaric husband, Fred West. As the sadistic murderer approaches her 70th birthday behind bars at West Yorkshire's HM Prison New Hall, her former solicitor has publicly pleaded for her to confess to her crimes before she dies.
Solicitor Leo Goatley, 67, who represented her for 12 years, claims West knows "an awful lot more than she has ever told us" - and believes this includes the disappearance of schoolgirl Mary Bastholm in 1968. Mr Goatley told the Mirror: "She is certainly one person alive who could clear up a lot of stuff and give some closure to a lot of families."
On New Year's Eve in 1995, Fred, who was charged with 12 murders, took any clues of his connection to more killings to his grave, when he killed himself in prison before the trial. This means only Rose, who is approaching three decades behind bars, can reveal the full extent of their crimes.
Husband and wife Fred and Rose West sexually abused and murdered their victims together (Channel 5)West was sentenced to life in October 1995 - which was later changed to a whole life tariff - for killing and burying 10 women in the cellar and garden of the West's home in Gloucester. The twisted serial killer has maintained her innocence throughout but her name is still being linked to missing people. As Mr Goatley hopes that West will consider finally unburdening herself of any guilt, here is a look at what happened after she was finally caught and her 'life of luxury' in prison...
Evil 'love affair' in prison
Myra Hindley was jailed for killing five children with her boyfriend, Ian Brady, in what became known as the Moors Murders. Their victims are Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans. Hindley was sentenced to life behind bars for her twisted crimes and was jailed in HMP Durham - the same prison that held Rose West in the mid-1990s.
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It was reported by West's former solicitor, Leo Goatley, that the two women sparked a romance after becoming friends while locked up. It was claimed the pair enjoyed a fling, with West apparently telling Mr Goatley: "Yeah, Myra, she's all right, we get on, I want to see how it goes."
West had a relationship with Myra Hindley (left) who killed five children with boyfriend Ian Brady (right) (PA)Mr Goatley said West was "impressed by Hindley's knowledge and ability" as the serial killer had studied with the Open University. The lawyer, who represented West for 12 years, published the book Understanding Fred and Rose West, in which he revealed the relationship between the two women.
He said: "Rose's first paramour was the Moors murderer, Myra Hindley, who happened to be on the hospital wing at HMP Durham at the same time in 1995 and early 1996." However, Mr Goatley claims their relationship didn't last long with West saying Hindley could be "very manipulative".
He told the Daily Mail: "When I visited a few months later, Rose's opinion of Hindley had changed dramatically. She was saying, 'you have to watch Hindley, mind. She is very manipulative. You don't realise it, but she gets you doing stuff for her. Oh, she's clever, all right. She's flippin' dangerous, that one. She ain't going to take me for a c*** again.' And so heralded the end of the romance."
Life of luxury behind bars
West was allowed to bake, watch television and attend yoga classes in prison (PA Archive/Press Association Images)
Her evil husband Fred killed himself before their sentencing in 1995 (PA Archive/PA Images)It was reported in 2017 that West was enjoying a 'middle-class' life behind bars - baking cakes, listening to The Archers, and watching Dancing on Ice.
West was previously said to be in good health and regularly hit the gym while attending yoga classes several times a week. The killer had also taken a hairdressing and beauty course, and started cutting her own hair in a short, feathered style, according to reports.
She would also cut the hair of other prisoners - although she was only allowed to use blunt-nosed scissors under prison rules. However there were rumours at the time that West was suffering from a life-threatening illness. But a prison source said: "There's nothing wrong with her, more's the pity. But it's hardly surprising, is it? She's treated like royalty in there."
Inside prison, West was placed on F-Wing with other women serving long-term sentences and had her own en-suite cell, complete with curtains at the window, a 'fluffy rug' on the floor, a coffee machine, TV, and radio. And according to sources inside the prison, West developed a reputation and saw herself as the prison matriarch. They said: "She is always very welcoming to new convicts and often befriends some of the harder cases coming into the prison.
"Despite her years in prison, she has always maintained her innocence and encourages others to fight their cases if they also claim they are not guilty. She sees herself as a barrack-room lawyer and will spend a lot of time helping people with legal problems."
Bake-off winner
West reportedly won a prison baking competition at Low Newton in 2018 (Daily Mirror)After taking up baking, the violent criminal reportedly entered a prison bake-off competition in October 2018 and came first with a Victorian sponge cake. The contest was held among inmates in Low Newton Prison's F-Wing in County Durham, and West impressed her fellow prisoners with her cake.
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While baking, West is allowed to use knives under the supervision of prison staff- despite her horrific crimes. A source told the Daily Star she used her skills in the kitchen to win over lags, claiming: "West uses her cooking skills to win people over.
"There are some very violent women on the wing and a lot of them are very aggressive towards West because of her crimes. But she tends to defuse situations by offering other prisoners cakes and biscuits."
Dangerously overweight
West before she was put behind bars for life and ballooned to 18st (South West News Service/Shutterstock)
West killed her daughter and stepdaughter and let her husband rape their kids (SWNS.com)In February 2019, news was shared that West ballooned to 18 stone and was considered "dangerously overweight". She was told that if she didn't lose weight she could face an early death, so she opted to go on a ketogenic diet in a bid to lose excess fat, according to reports.
West's weight spiralled as she lived off a diet of cake, crisps and chocolate, but she had to ditch the sugary treats for more nutritious foods such as fish, salads and vegetables. Medics said West sufferers from high blood pressure and risked developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
"West has been told on a number of occasions that she is dangerously overweight," one jail source told The Daily Star. "She has opted to go on the keto diet, which promises rapid weight loss quickly if you stick strictly to the rules.
"She is so heavy that she is often out of breath and sometimes has to have help getting off the toilet." West's new diet saw her consume only 20g of carbohydrates a day and she was told not to consume more than 1,500 calories daily.
Double killer threat
Over the course of 10 days in 2013, killer Joanna Dennehy murdered three men (PA)
Dennehy threatened to kill West so she was moved to another prison (PA)After more than a decade in the same cushy cell, West was moved in July 2019 because another notorious serial killer had threatened to murder her. Joanna Dennehy, who stabbed three men to death, was moved to the same jail as West and made threats against her, so prison chiefs packed up her belongings and arranged for a secret transfer.
It was reported that West burst into tears as her cell was cleared and her belongings were packed away. Sources at top-security Low Newton, where West had been held for more than ten years, said she was gutted to lose her easy life. But jail bosses feared Dennehy would carry out a similar attack on West after saying: "I'll kill that b*tch."
The double transfer was carried out amid high security because prison bosses did not want them in the same jail. A source said: "Rose West lived a life of luxury in there. She's got it made because she's in the lifers' unit. She doesn't even leave her cell and they bring food to her.
"So she was gutted when she had to leave. She was in tears and the prison officers just packed her things up. She was really upset. She didn't want to go. It's been her home for more than ten years and West is an elderly woman. Low Newton is the highest security prison for women in the country and they had to send Dennehy there.
"She's one of the UK's most dangerous inmates. She said, 'send me there and I'll f***ing kill Rose West'. Prison officials took the threat seriously. They moved West to another prison because they said it was a massive security threat."
Furious name change
Cromwell Street where Fred and Rose West lived in Gloucester and buried their victims (SWNS.com)
Rose West paid £36 to change her name to Jennifer Jones in December 2020 (Rex Features)The name Rose West is synonymous with evil, which is perhaps why the twisted killer changed her name to Jennifer Jones. It has been reported that West paid £36 to change her name by deed poll in December 2020. She told friends it was her way of moving on, but the decision reportedly infuriated fellow inmates at New Hall women's jail, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
A pal said: "Rose thinks the name will give her some anonymity but there's a lot of anger about it. She's chosen the new surname because it's so common and the Christian name just because she's always liked it. For her, it's more about getting rid of any association to Fred for good."
Early Covid vaccine
West got the coronavirus vaccine before prison officers at HMP New Hall (stock photo) (Getty Images)As the Coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc around the world, it was reported that West had received the vaccine behind bars. She even had the jab before prison officers and other staff at HMP New Hall, where she was held at the time. She was considered 'clinically extremely vulnerable' due to her weight, as at the time she struggled to even walk up a flight of stairs, sources told The Sun.
West received the jab even though many people in the 'extremely vulnerable' group had not yet been vaccinated. The serial killer apparently suffered a bad reaction to the AstraZeneca jab. "There were lots of flu-like symptoms and she took to her bed," a source told The Sun. While West was said to be at greater risk from Covid-19 due to her weight, there were questions about how early she got the vaccine. The source added: "But does that really mean she should be the first in the queue?”
Talent show shivers
West reportedly likes to watch Dancing on Ice in prison and asks her friend to vote for herAnother middle-class addition to West's life is watching Dancing on Ice and Strictly Come Dancing, and it's been reported that she's a huge fan of some of the biggest talent shots. It was revealed that the serial killer had been watching the ITV skating contest from prison every week and getting her friends to cast votes for her.
A source told The Sun: "Rose is a huge fan. Every weekend she clears a slot in her evening to watch the latest episode - it's a big part of her prison life. She's got a friend outside prison who she chats to and who makes the call to put a vote in for Rose. If you were the dancer she was backing, it'd be enough to send a shiver down your spine."
Possible first victim
West's former solicitor believes Mary Bastholm was the evil pair's first victim in 1968 (PA)
Fred West told police he was involved in Mary Bastholm's abrupt disappearance (PA)Although she'd been in prison for 27 years, a new development came in March last year as a potentially "significant development" into the hunt for the suspected first victim of Fred and Rose was announced. Police had started digging up a café, which is the first time a detailed search of the property, now the Clean Plate Café, has taken place.
Mr Goatley claimed tragic Mary Bastholm, who vanished in 1968 aged 15 while on the way to visit her boyfriend, may have been the couple's first murder together. "I think there is evidence the Mary Bastholm murder was [Rose's] initiation into the whole thing," he said. "It is not like the Pop In cafe was not on the police radar right from the start. In fact, I believe they have been in there before but without clear evidence could not pull a going business apart.
"I think Mary was a sore point because there was so much compelling evidence that Fred and even Rose West were involved in her disappearance. I just hope the police do find something that finally gives closure for the surviving members of Mary's family."
Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said: "This could be a significant development. On the basis of the information provided to us, we consider this to be new and potentially important evidence in the case of Mary Bastholm."
Becoming a 'recluse'
Mr Goatley believes West knows more than she has admitted and could give closure to many families (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)In his latest interview with the Mirror, Mr Goatley revealed that he believes West has now become a recluse and "closed herself off from the world". "I don't think any of her family or kids are in contact with her," he said. "I think she has one friend, the wife of a church minister, I've heard she's put on a lot of weight and don't think she's in great health.
"The way I feel is whatever process she has gone through in prison, while trying to project this image of a mellowed old lady, means if she really has become like that she would want some kind of redemption, there is a lot Rose West could say - and she hasn't. Don't forget some of the early letters between Fred and Rose were really religious and warped. This idea of an eternal life and some kind of faith.
"God knows where that come from but it was twisted, they had a corrupted, perverted sense of tradition and had this idea of 'always and forever'. It has always struck me that because of that, after all these years, she might have had the opportunity to reflect."
The killer's former solicitor claimed that he has sent her a letter in prison, in which he directly accused her of knowing that Fred abducted and killed Mary Bastholm.
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