The Yorkshire Ripper once threatened to sue the Daily Mirror for a ‘hurtful’ story that damaged his reputation.
The letters - made public for the first time - show how one of Britain’s worst serial killers fumed over our article and threatened to sue.
Sutcliffe, who brutally killed 13 women in a campaign of violence, felt humiliated after we gave details of the regime inside Broadmoor Hospital.
We told of his ‘cushy’ lifestyle, his days relaxing in his room writing letters to admirers, meeting his ‘girlfriend’ and walking in the grounds.
In the scrawled notes, he raged about the explosive 1995 articles about the top security unit in Crowthorne, Berks.
The Mirror had an exclusive interview with his nurse Frank Mone.
He claimed evil Sutcliffe “invented voices” in his head so he avoided being moved into a prison.
The serial killer had a TV in his en-suite cell and enjoyed barbecues, takeaways, snooker sessions and five-course dinners.
The Ripper’s personal nurse claimed Sutcliffe killed “because he enjoyed it” and rubbished his schizophrenia diagnosis, claiming the pair spent hours on end discussing his monstrous crimes in detail.
Sutcliffe wrote: “It’s libellous what he said, and if I had said that, it would have been his duty to enter it in my case records.
“But he didn’t so that proves I didn’t say anything of the sort.
It’s very hurtful, so I have contacted my solicitor, Kenny McGill, and he’s due to come down and see me so we shall get it all sorted.
“And then I hope to be able to sue the Daily Mirror.” Sutcliffe tried to gag the paper with a High Court Injunction.
Set to claim his patient’s rights were violated by the publication of the story, Sutcliffe was understood to be considering asking for taxpayer cash to fund the doomed bid.
A judge was satisfied journalists wouldn’t reveal information relating to the killer’s security.
In the same Mirror story, it was revealed Sutcliffe had taken a liking to art classes while locked up.
The Ripper lamented his treatment by the British press, moaning about unfair treatment and “crazy” stories.
In another letter, also from 1995, he told his penpal how he had unknowingly helped to build part of a Crazy Golf course at Broadmoor.
At the time, a tongue-in-cheek spokesperson had quipped: “Obviously not all the patients are well enough to be given putters to play with.”
After reading the story about the course, Sutcliffe wrote: “Yup, I saw that article in the paper about the crazy golf here, they print anything don’t they? I didn’t know, and helped to make it in the woodwork shop..!”
In a later letter from 2020, written just months before his death from Covid, Sutcliffe slammed stories about a run-in he had with Ronnie Kray in the 90s.
He added: “Shouldn’t take any notice of the crazy stories in newspapers about me in the tabloids.
“I did not give Ronnie a beating, although I did threaten him when he tried to make advances towards me!! He was as bent as a nine bob note.
“By the way, it will be my 74th birthday on June 2, doesn’t time fly?
Well take care for the New Year. God bless. Best regards, Peter C.”
Sutcliffe, 74, died from coronavirus and heart disease on Nov 13, 2020 after going in and out of University Hospital, North Durham from nearby Frankland jail.
* The correspondence is documented in a new book out this summer, ‘The Ripper Letters’, edited by Rory Everett.
