The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton Page A

him as being an odd sort who made women feel uncomfortable or acted strangely.
    This strongly suggested someone older and more secure, who was less likely to attract attention; someone perhaps in a marriage or a relationship. This man was more controlled and had been able to keep his cool when confronted by door-to-door enquiries about the crimes.
    Painter asked, ‘So he could have a wife or girlfriend?’
    ‘I’m saying that just because a man is in a relationship you shouldn’t discount him. Each time he’s been able to control himself long enough to maximize his chances of success of not being caught. He’s careful and makes plans. People like this are more able to get into a relationship.
    ‘You also have to ask yourself how he’s managed to maintain his position and keep his secret without attracting suspicion even though he lives in a tight community. He knows his neighbours, they know him, but he doesn’t stand out. You have to ask, “Why is that?” Again, it suggests that he’s older and perhaps in a relationship.’
    Baker asked, ‘So his family might be shielding him?’
    ‘No, I doubt it. Some aspects of his behaviour will possibly make those close to him feel uncomfortable, but I doubt if they know he’s a sexual murderer.’
    Baker said, ‘How old?’
    ‘At least his late twenties.’
    ‘And clever?’
    ‘I’d say average intelligence when you look at the degree of care and planning.’ This was indicated by the ease with which he acquired the teenagers in locations that suited his purposes and then escaped afterwards.
    ‘You’re dealing with a sexual psychopath and the nature of his deviant sexuality is probably driven by fantasies, just as Paul Bostock was driven. He periodically experiences a growing urge for sexual control and domination. He needs to express this through aggression, to overpower, dominate, rape and kill a woman. If you look at your records, this man will have come to your attention, perhaps for only minor indecency offences.’
    I could see David Baker previously struggling with this. The conceptual leap between a man flashing his erect penis at a woman and someone raping and killing was too great, yet I knew that the same irresistible urge could drive both and one could build towards the other.
    I’d interviewed flashers in a clinical setting and while their reasons sounded rational, when you unpacked their pasts other elements tumbled out. For men visual stimulus is very important, which is why there are pornographic magazines full of pictures of naked women. Some flashers mistakenly assume that if a woman sees an erect naked penis it has a similar effect on her and she’ll become so filled with lust, she’ll have sex with them. Other offenders expose themselves because seeing a woman for real is far better than looking at one in a magazine - it has possibilities. There is also sometimes an aggressive or revenge element - something has happened in their own earlier life, they’ve been rejected or ridiculed by a woman and they want to shock and frighten and dominate.
    All of these reasons can become mixed up and you can’t take one strand and say, ‘There’s the explanation,’ because it’s misleading.
    There are many levels of deviant behaviour and if one plotted them on the axis of a graph, invariably you see a steady rise. Someone begins with minor offences and progresses up the scale. The murders of Lynda and Dawn didn’t come out of the blue. Their killer started with lesser offences and escalated through these stages.
    Painter asked, ‘So he might have raped before, but not necessarily killed?’
    ‘Yes. But not all rapes are reported or detected,’ I said.
    ‘And he’s likely to kill again.’
    ‘Yes, when the urge becomes strong enough. He isn’t celibate. He needs and wants sex. Yet there were three years between the killings and during this time he’s likely to have found sex in some other relationship. He may have intercourse with his wife or