UK's 'most dangerous female inmate' now - solitary confinement and prison lovers

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Joanna Dennehy has shown no remorse (Image: PA)
Joanna Dennehy has shown no remorse (Image: PA)

Serial killer Joanna Dennehy repulsed the nation when details of her abhorrent crimes were laid bare during her trial for triple murder. Dennehy, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, went on her 10-day killing spree in Peterborough in 2013, stabbing three victims - love interest Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, housemate John Chapman, 56 and her landlord and lover Kevin Lee, 48 - to death before dumping them in ditches.

The murderer attacked two more men at random, both victims surviving their ordeal, before she was caught. Chillingly, she told police committing her crimes was “moreish and fun” and showed no genuine remorse for her actions.

Evil Dennehy was later jailed for life, with the judge assessing her as being so dangerous she should never been released. She was sent to HMP Bronzefield in Surrey where she threatened to kill serial killer Rose West minutes after her arrival to prove she was the prison's top dog.

UK's 'most dangerous female inmate' now - solitary confinement and prison lovers eiqrriudiqxtinvJoanna Dennehy poses for a photo holding a massive knife while on the run from police (SWNS.com)
UK's 'most dangerous female inmate' now - solitary confinement and prison loversVictim Lukasz Slaboszewski was lured to his death by Dennehy (Shared Content Unit)

West was quickly moved to solitary confinement before being transferred to another prison. Dennehy, meanwhile, embarked on a lengthy relationship with fellow inmate, street robber Hayley Palmer.

Last year Palmer, released from jail in 2021 after serving 16 years, confirmed the couple had split. And she revealed Dennehy once wrote to her saying: "You have a fully committed psychopath" as they made plans to wed, with the pair's tempestuous relationship once leading to an attempt to kill themselves for fear of being separated inside.

Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probeMan in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe

In 2016, Dennehy caused outrage by filing a High Court damages claim for human rights violations she said she suffered during more than two years of solitary confinement. Evidence given by authorities in the case, which was unsuccessful, revealed she had plotted to escape prison by murdering a guard and using their severed fingers to open biometric doors.

UK's 'most dangerous female inmate' now - solitary confinement and prison loversMurder victim John Chapman was Dennehy's landlord (Shared Content Unit)

Author Christopher Berry-Dee, who met Dennehy in jail for his book Talking With Female Serial Killers, called her: "Without doubt, the most evil person I have ever met". "She had shaved hair and had put on a lot of weight since the time of her arrest. She was well-spoken and her voice was quiet and menacing. I could smell evil coming off her - it’s a smell like no other so it’s impossible to describe but it’s acrid and dirty."

At the start of the decade, it was reported the serial killer had been moved to all-female maximum security prison HMP Low Newton, near Durham, after falling for a male prison officer at Bronzefield. Tracey Connelly, mother of Baby P, is a former inmate with serial killer Lucy Letby, jailed for life last month for murdering seven babies, reportedly the latest high-profile resident.

UK's 'most dangerous female inmate' now - solitary confinement and prison loversDennehy embarked on a relationship with killer Emma Aitken in jail
UK's 'most dangerous female inmate' now - solitary confinement and prison loversShe is reportedly in the maximum security prison HMP Low Newton (PA)

Dennehy, now in her early 40s, embarked on a romance with a younger woman, murderer Emma Aitken after the move. Aitken, from Derby, her dad Vincent Aitken and then boyfriend Nathan Doherty were jailed for life for the murder of Barry Smith, whose beaten and burnt body was discovered outside Kilburn Welfare Social Club in Derbyshire in 2013,

“They make cheesecake and trifles while other ­people are locked away in their cells," said a source about Dennehy and Aitken's romance behind bars. "Other inmates are scared of Joanna because of her crime and her attitude. She is not someone to be messed with.”

Vikki White

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