Leeds child killer John Taylor given WHOLE life term over sex abuse against seven-year-old girl

EVIL killer John Taylor has been given a WHOLE life prison sentence after admitting a string of violent sex crimes against a seven-year-old child and a four women.
John TaylorJohn Taylor
John Taylor

Judge Robin Mairs told Taylor he will now spend the rest of his life behind bars over "harrowing" offences which spanned four decades.

The judge told the 62-year it was necessary to impose the "rare" sentence because of the severity of his crimes.

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He said: "I am in no doubt that you must be kept in prison for the rest of your life.

John TaylorJohn Taylor
John Taylor

"In your case, John Taylor, life imprisonment means exactly that."

Judge Mairs said the offences Taylor committed were of "exceptional gravity".

He said: "I have read with care each and every victim personal statement and they make harrowing reading.

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"Even that harrowing reading could not describe the suffering that you inflicting on these women.

"They needed courage and needed resilience because of the life long effects of your actions."

He added: "Your threats to kill those in the attacks has shown by the offence against Leanne Tiernan that they are not hollow ones."

Detective Superintendent Jim Dunkerley said: “Today’s sentencing is the culmination of a long and detailed investigation into Taylor and his offending and I want to pay tribute to my team for their work in bringing Taylor to justice.

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“Hopefully today’s sentences bring a degree of comfort to his victims who have been through a horrific ordeal.

"Thankfully Taylor didn’t subject them to a trial so they didn’t have to give evidence.

“I do though want to pay tribute to them for bravely coming forward and telling police what happened to them.

"Without them coming forward we wouldn’t have been able to bring Taylor to justice for these offences.

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“I also want to make a promise to victims that the commitment of my team is to them and to achieving justice on their behalf.

"Even if you were the victim of a serious crime decades ago we will do all we can to bring the offender or offenders to justice.”

Taylor pleaded guilty on October 8 this year to two counts of rape, two other serious sex offence, two of possessing an offensive weapon, four of indecent assault, kidnapping, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and unlawful wounding

The court heard Taylor entered guilty pleas to a further count of rape and having an offensive weapon at a hearing on June 6.

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The offences relate to attacks on five female victims between December 1977 and August 1996.

They include the rape of a woman in the Armley area of Leeds in 1977.

Taylor also admitted indecently assaulting a woman in Bramley Fall woods and putting a knife to her throat.

He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and indecent assault offences against a seven-year-old girl in Armley in 1984.

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Taylor entered guilty pleas to a sexual offence and two offences of violence against a woman in Gildersome in 1987.

He further admitted to two rape offences and an indecent assault offence against a victim in 1996.