Chris Gregg
Chris Gregg QPM is a former Detective Chief Superintendent and was head of West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET).[1] Gregg joined the force in 1974 and as a constable was put on front-line duties in the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry in the Helen Rytka murder incident room.[2] He left the force in 2008 to take up a senior position as an adviser [3] to a forensic service provider company, LGC Forensics.[2] In 2010 Gregg, together with Lord Stevens and Dr Angela Gallop, founded Axiom International Limited.[4]
Awards
Gregg was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours.[5] Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, Sir Norman Bettison, described Gregg as one of the finest detectives the force had ever known.[3][6][7]
Career
Gregg was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and in a 34 year career, headed up some high profile criminal investigations of recent years including:
- The kidnap and murder in November 2000 of 16-year old Leeds schoolgirl Leanne Tiernan by John Taylor described at his trial in 2002 by the judge as a "sexual sadist".[8] In February 2003, he was convicted of two rapes, based on DNA evidence, and given two additional life sentences.[9]
- The American fugitive David Bieber who murdered traffic PC Ian Broadhurst and attempted the murder of two other policemen on 26 December 2003.[10][11][12]
- Identification of the Yorkshire Ripper Hoaxer, John Humble, who was tried and sentenced in October 2005 – 25 years after the offence which was one of the most notorious – and damaging – hoaxes in criminal history.[13][14][15][16] Gregg won £50,000 libel damages, plus costs, after being accused by Irish writer Noel O'Gara of "stitching up" John Humble as the writer of the hoax letters and sender of a tape recording purporting to be from the Yorkshire Ripper.[17]
- Serial killer Colin Norris, dubbed the 'Angel of Death' who murdered four elderly patients in a hospital in Leeds receiving a life sentence in 2008.[18][19][20]
- Gregg led the enquiry into the Harold Shipman deaths in West Yorkshire, when Shipman, a practising medical doctor, was apprehended, later having 218 murders positively ascribed to him.[21]
On leaving the force he spoke against the misuse by suspected murderers of the protective shield of human rights legislation.[22][23][24][25][26]
References
- ^ BBC News 19 May 2008: Gregg talks about his career; Accessed 17 March 2010
- ^ a b Chief is off after 30 years in force - Bradford Telegraph & Argus, 16 May 2008, accessed 20 March 2010
- ^ a b "Human rights law 'shielding rapists'" Daily Telegraph 13 May 2008 - accessed 18 March 2010
- ^ "Axiom International Key People"
- ^ Queen's Birthday Honours 2008
- ^ Daily Express 13 May 2008, accessed 18 March 2010
- ^ Human Rights Act has 'helped rapists and murderers escape justice' for 10 years - Daily Mail 13 May 2008 - accessed 18 March 2010
- ^ BBC News 8 July 2002 Accessed 17 March 2010
- ^ The murder of Leanne Tiernan - Forensic cases, accessed 23 March 2010
- ^ CBS News 16 February 2008 - accessed 18 March 2010
- ^ "Police killer will die in prison for brutal, cold-blooded crime" - The Times 3 December 2004, accessed 18 March 2010
- ^ "Hunt stepped up for police officer's killer" - The Scotsman 29 December 2003, accessed 20 March 2010
- ^ Man still held over Ripper hoax - BBC News October 2005, accessed 18 March 2003
- ^ Ripper hoaxer sent to prison for eight years - The Independent 22 March 2006, accessed 18 March 2010
- ^ 'Callous' Ripper hoaxer sent to prison for eight years - The Independent 21 March 2006, accessed 18 March 2010
- ^ 'I did it because I was bored and on the dole' Yorkshire Post - 21 March 2006, accessed 19 March 2010
- ^ "Ripper detective wins £50,000 damages" Sunderland Echo, 11 March 2008 - accessed 20 March 2010
- ^ Angel of Death nurse jailed for life - Daily Telegraph, 4 March 2008 - accessed 20 March 2010
- ^ BBC TV News interview with Gregg after the trial, accessed 20 March 2010
- ^ Colin Norris, 'Angel of Death' nurse, jailed for life, Daily Telegraph 4 March 2004, accessed 23 March 2010
- ^ How Many More did Shipman Kill? The Independent 9 October 2001, accessed 23 March 2010
- ^ Human Rights Law 'Shielding Rapists', Daily Telegraph, 13 May 2008, accessed 24 March 2010
- ^ "Human Rights 'Loopholes' Condemned". Daily Express, 13 May 2008, accessed 25 March 2010
- ^ "Human Rights Act has 'helped rapists and murderers escape justice' for 10 years, says top detective", Daily Mail, 13 May 2008, accessed 25 March
- ^ Detective Attacks Criminals Pleas for Human Rights, Bradford Telegraph & Argus, 13 May 2008, accessed 26 March 2010
- ^ "Human Rights Act has allowed hardened criminals 'to hide from the law', says top detective", Daily Mail, 13 May 2008, accessed 27 March 2010