Sadistic teenager James Fairweather jailed for life after frenzied murders

Sadistic: double murderer James Fairweather
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A sadistic teenager who was obsessed with becoming Britain's youngest serial killer has been jailed for life for the brutal murders of two strangers.

James Fairweather, 17, shrugged and mouthed "don't give a s***" as he was locked up for at least 27 years, waving to his parents as he was led to the cells.

The schoolboy had spent months obsessing over mass murderers like the Yorkshire Ripper when he stabbed his first victim, James Attfield, more than 100 times while he slept in a park.

Fairweather struck again three months later when he stabbed to death 31-year-old Saudi student Nahid Almanea.

The teenager, who was just 15 at the time of the attacks, tortured his victims by deliberately stabbing them in the eyes and wounding them to cause pain, the Old Bailey heard.

Victim: James Attfield
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When he was eventually captured, he gave a "chillingly frank" confession to police, saying Ms Almanea should not have been walking along as "she should have known there was a murderer in town".

After he carried out the attacks, Fairweather calmly ditched his weapons in a stream and destroyed his blood stained clothes, then relished the "state of fear" among locals in Colchester, Essex.

When his bedroom was searched, police found reams of research on Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Ipswich serial killer Steve Wright, and US mass murderer Ted Bundy.

Fairweather claimed he had been driven to kill by a combination of autism, paranoia, and voices in his head, as well as being bullied at school since the age of 11.

But a jury rejected his defence of diminished responsibility and found him guilty of the double murder following a trial.

"It's plain in carrying out these two murders you were seeking to emulate other serial killers such as Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper", said Mr Justice Spencer.

"When you committed these murders, you were acting out your violent and sadistic fantasy which had been fuelled by your obsession with serial killers.

"You had immersed yourself in that world for several months at least."

Killer James Fairweather's mother Anita
PA

The court heard Fairweather sneaked out of his home through the living room window to carry out the first attack on Mr Attfield in March 2014, finding him drunk and sleeping after a night out.

"It was a brutal, relentless, and cowardly attack on a man lying on the ground drunk and incapable of defending himself", said the judge, who added that Fairweather had "relished the sense of power and control".

Fairweather jokingly played with his thick-rimmed spectacles as he entered the dock this morning, giving a thumbs-up to his father and mouthing the words: "Chin up".

He carried out the first murder on March 29, 2014, three days after he was sentenced to a youth referral order for criminal damage and a knifepoint robbery.

Mr Attfield, a father-of-four, was still alive when his wounded body was discovered in Castle Park in Colchester, the court heard.

He had been stabbed 102 times, and had injuries showing he had tried in vain to fend off Fairweather's attack.

Ms Almanea, a student at the University of Essex, was stabbed with a bayonet by Fairweather as she walked to class along the Salary Brook Trail footpath on 17 June, 2014.

He came up behind her and stabbed her in the back, then knifed her repeatedly including inflicting wounds to both eyes.

Fairweather was questioned by Essex Police after the second attack, as he had a history of knife crime, but police did not have enough evidence to link him to the killings.

He was eventually captured in May last year while prowling the same area as the attack on Ms Almanea, wearing gloves and holding a lock knife and looking for his third victim.

There was evidence of "sadistic conduct" in both murders, wounding his victims before delivering the fatal blows, the court heard.

"In Ms Almanea's case, he had targeted her eyes, knocking off her sunglasses specifically so he could stab her in the eyes", said the judge.

Psychiatric tests showed Fairweather had an "emerging psychopathic personality disorder" and had been driven to kill by his obsession with notorious serial killers.

He admitted in interview that he had thought constantly of "killing and raping" and spent his spare time watching pornography.

Prosecutor Simon Denison QC said if Fairweather had been 21 at the time of the murders, he could be facing a whole life prison sentence.

He added that Essex Police had spent £2.6m on the investigation, drafting in extra officers and distributed thousands of panic alarms in the wake of the murders.

In an impact statement, Mr Attfield's mother Julie Finch said: "We continue supporting each other as a family and remember James as a friendly practical joker that he was."

She dubbed Fairweather a "monster" and added: "Our lives were changed forever when my kind and brave son Jim was brutally killed."

Fairweather admitted manslaughter but was convicted after trial of murder. He will serve 27 years behind bars before he is considered for release.

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