The Yorkshire Ripper

smashey

Did anybody hear The Last Word today? Matt Cooper was interviewing that bloke from Dublin who is trying to fight a compulsory purchase order from Dublin City Council, when he asked him what was the book he was brandishing at Michael McDowell in today's papers. The guy claims it was a book about Peter Sutcliffe written by himself. He went on to claim that the real Yorkshire Ripper was from Athlone and used to live with him. He said that after each murder, the "real ripper" fled to Athlone before the bodies were found and that Sutcliffe was a copy-cat killer and a bit of a nutter. He claimed the Yorkshire Police knew this but won't admit their mistake. He finished by saying the real killer now lives in London.

My question is as follows, is this guy the biggest conspiracy theorist in Ireland or could there be a hint of truth there?

Dudess

Yeah, the guy who wrote the book is Noel O'Gara, an Athlone businessman who bought Dartmouth Square in Ranelagh and is trying to turn it into a carpark. There's absolute uproar from nearby residents (just an aside: bet if it wasn't a posh place like Ranelagh, he'd have no problem doing so, but that's neither here nor there). Anyway, in his book, he claims Peter Sutcliffe is not the Yorkshire Ripper, but it is actually a guy called William Tracey.

bonkey

smashey wrote:

Sutcliffe was a copy-cat killer and a bit of a nutter. He claimed the Yorkshire Police knew this but won't admit their mistake.

So who did Sutcliffe copy-cat-kill?

And isn't it an amazing coincidence that the real killer decided to stop killing at just the right time?

smashey

bonkey wrote:

So who did Sutcliffe copy-cat-kill?

And isn't it an amazing coincidence that the real killer decided to stop killing at just the right time?

He said Sutcliffe was a copy-cat of the guy from Athlone.

Regarding your second point, out of such coincidences are conspiracy theories born.;)

bonkey

smashey wrote:

He said Sutcliffe was a copy-cat of the guy from Athlone.

I'm obviously missing something here. Bear with me.

The guy is saying that Sutcliffe did not commit the murders for which he was found guilty. these murders were, in fact, carried out by Athlone-man.

He is also saying that Sutcliffe did kill someone. How else could he be a copy-cat, right?

So who did Sutcliffe kill? Did he kill some but not all of the 13 people? If so, does O'Gara have a strong enough case to be able to say which of the 13 that would be, and which were killed by his preferred culprit?

I must say that I find the "staging" a bit cheesy. Its almost as though he's trying to get maximum exposure out of this car-park thing. Call me skeptical, but someone like that strikes me as being more likely to be out to make a quick buck than in the truth and seeing justice done.

jc

smashey

bonkey wrote:

I'm obviously missing something here. Bear with me.

The guy is saying that Sutcliffe did not commit the murders for which he was found guilty. these murders were, in fact, carried out by Athlone-man.

He is also saying that Sutcliffe did kill someone. How else could he be a copy-cat, right?

So who did Sutcliffe kill? Did he kill some but not all of the 13 people? If so, does O'Gara have a strong enough case to be able to say which of the 13 that would be, and which were killed by his preferred culprit?

I must say that I find the "staging" a bit cheesy. Its almost as though he's trying to get maximum exposure out of this car-park thing. Call me skeptical, but someone like that strikes me as being more likely to be out to make a quick buck than in the truth and seeing justice done.

jc

He said Sutcliffe killed some of them but the guy from Athlone was the initial murderer who Sutcliffe then copied.

I have to agree, the staging was a bit suspect but he has written a book about it. I googled it and found this.

Dudess

bonkey wrote:

I must say that I find the "staging" a bit cheesy. Its almost as though he's trying to get maximum exposure out of this car-park thing. Call me skeptical, but someone like that strikes me as being more likely to be out to make a quick buck than in the truth and seeing justice done.

jc

Yeah, according to a website source, the book was published in 1989. Seventeen years on, he happens to be brandishing it when Michael McDowell (and therefore, the media) is around. Come on! That is so lame it's laughable.

That's not to say I don't think there was a second ripper, though.

bonkey

Oh, I've no doubt the was brandishing it....in the hopes that someone would ask him about it, as they did.

I just reckon he did it so he can pimp himself and his book, maybe make a few sales, and maybe convince a few people that he's a stand-up guy because of how he's so dedicated to seeing justice done.

Cheesy.

Dudess

Oh totally. I'm agreeing with you - not disagreeing!

robertjordan

the supposed ripper was not from athlone but clara about 15 miles from athlone, his name was billy treacy a butcher by trade, his family are very upset by mr o garas allegations. funnily enough no one has seen or heard from mr treacy for years, he was supposed to have been doing business with mr o gara,

Mad Finn

Dudess wrote:

Noel O'Gara, an Athlone businessman who bought Dartmouth Square in Ranelagh and is trying to turn it into a carpark. There's absolute uproar from nearby residents (just an aside: bet if it wasn't a posh place like Ranelagh, he'd have no problem doing so, but that's neither here nor there).

Oh I would love, love, love to see Mr O'Gara to try and build a car park over, say, a children's playground in a public park in one of Dublin's less salubrious areas. (Not that there's many but let him try it in Mountjoy Square, for example) The local mothers would eviscerate him.

He'd look like the Yorkshire Ripper had been at him. Or the Real Yorkshire Ripper. Or maybe even the Continuity Yorkshire Ripper. :rolleyes:

As for his book. It's privately published (by himself) and although I am no expert on the case, his theory does seem to have a huge amount of holes in it.

Mad Finn

Oh and if you want to see how Mr O'Gara likes to make his money, (when he isn't spouting to the media about how Irish people fought to be rid of exploitative landlords for centuries) do a Google search on 'Noel O'Gara and ground rent'

Famous for it.

Scawgeen

bonkey wrote:

So who did Sutcliffe copy-cat-kill?

And isn't it an amazing coincidence that the real killer decided to stop killing at just the right time?

I remember reading somewhere online, newsgroup I think that the killings didn't stop, that more than a few unsolved murders bear the hallmarks of the Yorkshire Ripper murders.

Motley Crue

Scawgeen wrote:

I remember reading somewhere online, newsgroup I think that the killings didn't stop, that more than a few unsolved murders bear the hallmarks of the Yorkshire Ripper murders.

I think I might try and get a copy of this book off him

Dyr

There was a link someone posted on boards to a website yer man had up going into extensive details about the guy he thought was the ripper. It was posted in the dublin forum i think