News

Carl lands TV role as evil ‘Gay Slayer’

Published

6 years ago

November 16, 2017

A HAVERFORDWEST man who has, over the last five years, worked as extra in TV programmes – such as ‘Casualty’ and ’Stella’ – has just landed his first lead role in a television docudrama about the ‘Gay Slayer’ serial killer Colin Ireland.

As he coolly told police that he had murdered five gay men – because he had taken the decision to be a serial killer one New Year’s Eve – Colin Ireland gave what he thought was a credible explanation for his campaign of brutality.

The former soldier became known as the ‘Gay Slayer’, reportedly posing as a homosexual to be taken to each of his victims’ homes, where he tortured and murdered them in the summer of 1993.

He also chillingly stayed with several of the bodies over night, possibly taking enjoyment in reliving the violence he had inflicted.

CBS Reality’s ‘Voice of a Serial Killer’ programme, broadcast for the first time this week, focused on the case of the ‘Gay Slayer’.

Carl Sykes, 38, who was brought up on Baring Gould Way, and attended Tasker Milward School, now lives in Risca, Newport, told The Herald that he ’honestly did not want to be an actor’.

“I never have”, he said.

Known back in the day by his school friends as a gentle giant, he is perhaps the last person people who know him in Pembrokeshire would expect to see on the screen portraying an evil murderer.

But the lead role – which he seems to have landed very much by accident – really challenged him, he said.

Carl went on to say: “I love being a supporting artist, and this role was suggested to me by my agent but I wasn’t aware at the time how involved it would be. It was fun to do but quite demanding, especially the lip-syncing with Ireland’s police interview.

“But I’m happy to step back and carry on being that guy you might recognise wandering around in ‘Casualty’ from time to time!”

hen asked what he found most challenging about playing the role of the serial killer he said: “Listening to the recordings of Ireland’s police interviews.

“He is so cold and calculating – he actually read books on serial killers beforehand to see how he could kill and get away with it, whilst at the same time, he tried to put the blame on his victims.

“At one point he says that if one of his victims hadn’t approached him, he’d have probably just gone home and nothing bad would have happened.

Dr David Holmes, a psychologist, tells the Voice of a Serial Killer programme: “He decided one New Year to make a resolution – I am going to be be a serial killer, that’s my new career, and set about it.

“It’s fairly complex as to whether Ireland was gay himself, which he protests he isn’t, and this was some kind of smokescreen … his way of engaging gay men then clearing his conscience.”

Dr Donna Youngs, directors of the International Centre for Investigative Psychology, said Ireland may have been picking up on the ‘vulnerabilities’ of gay men in the 1990s, who felt they had to be covert, and exploited it.

She said he was obsessed with being in control in the way he carried out the murders as well as throughout his police interviews.

She said: “He is proud, he thinks he has managed to achieve dominance and a freedom of expression of what he wanted to do to people in a way that very few others have the nerve to follow through on. He is proud, that’s why we get all the details we do in his confession.”

After confessing to all five murders, Ireland was given a whole-life tariff in 1993.

He died at the age of 57 from natural causes in the healthcare centre of Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire in 2012.

Crime

Pembrokeshire pensioner accused of 17 sexual offences against children

Published

4 mins ago

April 24, 2024

Court Reporter

A 72-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has appeared before magistrates charged with 17 sexual offences against children under the age of 14.

The Crown Prosecution alleges that between May 2004 and April 2007 Robert Hughes of The Close, Spittal, sexually assaulted three girls on eight separate occasions, by touching. At the time of the alleged offences, the girls were aged under 13.

Hughes faces nine additional charges of gross indecency against four girls under the age of 14, allegedly committed between October 1998 and October 2004.

The Crown alleges that all offences took place in Haverfordwest,

Hughes denied all 17 charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday via a video link from his home.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction in the matter. Trial proceedings against Hughes will now commence at Swansea Crown Court on May 24.

Hughes was granted conditional bail, the conditions being that he does not contact the four complainants nor the Prosecution witnesses. He must also notify the police if he changes his address and must have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18.

Crime

Former army officer admits driving on cannabis

Published

6 mins ago

April 24, 2024

Court Reporter

A FORMER army officer has appeared before magistrates after being caught drug-driving just one week before being granted a medical prescription for cannabis.

Shane Blofield was stopped by police soon at 9am on November 7 as he drove his white Ford transit van on the A40 through Slebech.

A roadside drugs swipe proved positive and subsequent blood tests showed he had 5.8mcg of Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The specified legal limit is 2.

This week Blofield, of Clos Pluguen, Llandovery, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving above the specified drug limit when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates.

“This is a former army officer who has served his country well and is the father to three young children,” said his counsel, Dr Bobby Shabir of the Kings Bench Chambers.

“My client has a prolapse as well as issues with his back, and as a result he requires medicinal cannabis for health reasons. A prescription for cannabis was sadly given to him a week after the incident, because at the time, he was oblivious to the fact that he could get it on prescription.”

Dr Shabbir presented the magistrates with three character references including one from his former employer and a work colleague. He informed magistrates that Blofield is currently unemployed.

After considering the mitigation, magistrates disqualified Shane Blofied from driving for 12 months. He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 surcharge.

Crime

Woman sentenced for urinating on pavement in Haverfordwest town centre

Published

10 mins ago

April 24, 2024

Court Reporter

A 33-YEAR-OLD homeless woman has appeared before magistrates after squatting down in the centre of Haverfordwest to urinate in front of members of the public, including children.

Paramedics were called to Picton Place on the afternoon of March 11, following reports that a woman was lying unconscious in the street.

Upon arrival, they discovered Rebecca David.

“The paramedics recognised the female as the defendant as they had dealt with her previously,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“She sat up shortly after they arrived and began swearing and shouting, telling the paramedics to f*** off. She then said ‘I need a piss’ and proceeded to walk down an alley near to the bus stop.”

The paramedics followed David, fearing for her personal safety, and requested the police to attend as a result of her aggressive nature.

“They then saw her squat down as she tried to urinate,” continued Abigail Jackson. “The officers turned around to try to prevent members of the public seeing what she was doing, as these included children.”

David pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive words and behaviour that was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

She was fined £40 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 court surcharge.