John Taylor Sentenced to Whole Life for 20-Year Campaign of Rape and Assault
Key Takeaways
- Whole-life tariff imposed after admitting a 20-year campaign of sexual violence.
- Campaign involved 16 offences against five victims from 1977 to 1996.
- Was serving a 30-year minimum for the Tiernan murder prior to the whole-life tariff.
Whole Life Sentence
John Taylor was sentenced to whole life imprisonment after admitting 16 sexual offences.
“A convicted killer has been handed a whole-life sentence after he admitted a series of "vile and sadistic" sex attacks against women and children”
He was already serving life for the murder of 16-year-old Leanne Tiernan.
Taylor's campaign of assaults spanned two decades.
Horrific Attacks Detailed
The abuse included an indecent assault on a seven-year-old girl tied to a church drainpipe.
An attack on a 27-year-old woman was witnessed by her three children.
Taylor showed no emotion as the judge told him he must be kept in prison for life.
Cold Case Review and DNA Evidence
The offences came to light after a cold case review and advances in DNA sciences.
“A murderer who is serving a life sentence for abducting and killing a teenage girl in Leeds nearly two decades ago has been given a whole life tariff after admitting a string of further offences”
West Yorkshire Police's cold case team led the investigation.
Judge's Verdict
Judge Mairs described Taylor as fuelled by a sadistic desire to inflict pain.
The judge rejected any possibility of Taylor's release.
More on Crime
FBI Declares Michigan Synagogue Attack Hezbollah-Inspired Terrorism
13 sources compared
FBI: Michigan Synagogue Attacker Inspired by Hezbollah, Aimed for Mass Killing
11 sources compared
FBI Declares Michigan Synagogue Attack Hezbollah-Inspired Terrorism
19 sources compared
15-Year-Old Student Shoots Teacher Then Kills Himself at Texas High School
19 sources compared