Shoe fetish killer who brutally murdered mother, 51, is denied parole

A killer with a shoe fetish who murdered a mother at random has been refused parole and told that he has ‘outstanding treatment needs’ that need to be addressed before he can be freed. 

Christopher Farrow, then 33, tied receptionist Wendy Speakes, 51, up with a pair of stockings, forced her to wear blue mule shoes before raping and then stabbing her to death. 

The discovery of Mrs Speakes’ body at her home in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on March 15, 1994, sparked a six-year manhunt for sadistic Farrow. 

Farrow was finally caught after advances in fingerprint technology allowed a comparison to be made to the partial print found at the murder scene. 

He got a life sentence in November 2000 with a minimum term of 18-years and has had two previous parole appeals rejected. 

Shoe fetish killer Christopher Farrow (pictured) tied up receptionist Wendy Speakes with a pair of stockings before brutally murdering her

However, in 2018 Farrow was moved to an open prison in preparation for release by paroles chiefs. 

He was subsequently returned to closed conditions, though no reasons are given for this decision. 

The Parole Board announced today (8/6) that it had rejected both Farrow’s appeal to be released on licence and his bid to be moved again to an open prison. 

It had initially scheduled a parole hearing for November last year but this was adjourned for the Secretary of State to submit additional information. 

A second hearing was also called off and the decision was ultimately made based on Farrow’s prison files. 

In a written summary, seen by MailOnline, the three person panel stated: ‘At this stage, no key report writer could support Mr Farrow’s release on parole licence. 

‘He had been assessed to have outstanding treatment needs and these were to be addressed through further interventions. 

‘The panel examined the release plan provided by Mr Farrow’s probation officer and weighed its proposals against assessed risks. 

‘The panel concluded that this plan would need to be reassessed after Mr Farrow’s outstanding treatment needs had been addressed.’ 

The Parole Board summed up Farrow’s horrific past: ‘At the time of his offending, these risk factors had included Mr Farrow’s sexual interests, his attitudes concerning women, and problems in his relationships. 

‘He had thought a lot about sex and had believed he could have sex as and when he wanted. Mr Farrow had also experienced difficulties in managing extremes of emotion.’ 

Wendy Speakes, 51, (pictured) was forced to wear a pair of blue mule shoes before she was murdered by Christopher Farrow

Wendy Speakes, 51, (pictured) was forced to wear a pair of blue mule shoes before she was murdered by Christopher Farrow

It said Farrow, now 61, had undertaken ‘accredited programmes to address sex offending’ but added: ‘He had had the benefit of a period in open conditions but had been returned to the closed prison estate by the authorities. 

‘Since then, there had been no concerns about Mr Farrow’s custodial behaviour. He had worked one-to-one with a prison psychologist.’ 

It concluded: ‘After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Farrow was suitable for release. 

‘Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Farrow should be transferred to open prison.’ 

The crime horrified the nation as it emerged Farrow tied receptionist Wendy up with a pair of stockings, forced her to wear blue mule shoes before raping and then stabbing her to death. 

The discovery of Mrs Speakes’ body at her home sparked a six-year police operation to find her killer. 

Farrow was finally caught when advances in fingerprint technology allowed a comparison to be made to the partial print found at the murder scene. 

He was jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court in November 2000 after pleading guilty to the murder and rape. After the decision to move Farrow from a closed to an open jail in 2018, Tracey Speakes, the victim’s daughter, spoke of her fears. 

Tracey, then 54, said she remains convinced Farrow is still a serious danger to women and will strike again if granted his freedom. 

She said: ‘I think he is a dangerous, dangerous man. ‘People need to be reminded of what he has done. Particularly people in Leeds and Wakefield if he is going to move back there. 

‘Why should he have the right to freedom after what he has done? ‘He has shown no remorse – right from committing this offence in 1994 up until the day he is going to be released. ‘He has never said sorry.’ 

Christopher Farrow, now 61, has been denied parole and told he has ‘outstanding treatment needs’

The move to an open jail took place after a parole hearing at Hull prison in July 2018. Tracey also had to go through the harrowing experience of reading a victim statement at Farrow’s hearing. 

She described the years of torment and anguish Farrow’s shockingly brutal actions had upon her and her family. 

Tracey said she was also angry at the Parole Board hearing process in which she had to drive from her home in Essex to Hull Prison to read her statement. 

She said: ‘The whole thing is a shambles. It is all geared towards the offender. ‘I would say this to the justice system – you need to sort it out!’ 

She told members of the Parole Board panel: ‘The local community would be living in terror if he was released. ‘A pair of mum’s shoes were never found and to this day I believe he hid them as a trophy for his next victim. 

‘The pain of living with the injustice of the life sentence not meaning life in prison when he took my mum’s life without a second thought would be impossible for me to live with. 

‘I am sure that the feelings of dread and panic attacks would escalate. ‘Looking over my shoulder knowing he was no longer in prison would affect the life I have managed to build back up since 1994.’ 

At his trial, the court heard Farrow tricked his way into Wendy’s home an hour after failing to get into that of a 24-year-old woman he had stalked for several days. 

Farrow, a printer, made Mrs Speakes take off her slippers and wear a pair of blue shoes which he had found in a cupboard downstairs. 

He then forced her upstairs to her bedroom, where he gagged her and bound her hands with a pair of black stockings which he had bought that afternoon. 

Christopher Farrow stabbed Wendy Speakes (pictured) nine times in the back and shoulders and twice in the neck

Christopher Farrow stabbed Wendy Speakes (pictured) nine times in the back and shoulders and twice in the neck

Farrow, of Cookridge, placed a pair of her black stiletto shoes on a bedside table before carrying out a sexual attack. 

At the same time, he stabbed Mrs Speakes, a divorcee who lived alone, nine times in the back and shoulders and twice in the neck. 

Mrs Speakes was found at the foot of her bed in a pool of blood by two friends who became worried when she did not arrive for work the next morning. 

The killer left a pair of black stockings tied in loops beside the bed and part of a candlewick bedspread which he used to gag her. 

Tracey Speakes said: ‘Back when mum died there were six years between him being found and convicted. 

‘I would walk down the street looking at people wondering if they had killed mum. It affects you all the time. 

‘A few times I had to go to the doctors and get anti-depressants but I had to try to not let it affect my job because I had to a mortgage to pay. 

‘It was a relief when he was finally convicted because I thought “well that’s it now, he’s going to prison for a very long time”. But life does not mean life for him.’ 

Farrow was arrested in March 2000 in connection with the murder after his fingerprints were matched to one found on the handle of Mrs Speakes’s front door. 

Once he was identified as the main suspect, bloodstains found at the house were tested and showed there was a one in 30 million chance of it being from someone other than Farrow. 

Wendy Speakes' left) daughter Tracey Speakes (right) said it was 'relief' when Christopher Farrow was finally convicted

Wendy Speakes’ left) daughter Tracey Speakes (right) said it was ‘relief’ when Christopher Farrow was finally convicted

Farrow pleaded guilty to the murder and rape of Mrs Speakes in Balne Lane, Wakefield. 

He also admitted the attempted burglary of another woman’s house with intent to rape her less than an hour earlier. 

Robert Smith, QC, prosecuting, said at the time: ‘The footwear like the black shoe on the bedside table was intended to play some specific role for the purposes of sexual arousal as did the stockings.’ 

Mr Smith added: ‘Farrow liked to look at shoes when he was having sex.’ 

The prosecutor said that Farrow had told detectives: ‘I just saw her get off a bus as I was getting off another bus. 

‘I had been… thinking how crap my life was. My sex life… was absolute zero and I had a lot of upset and anger towards my girlfriend. 

‘I decided to do something that day to someone. I just wanted someone to suffer the same way as I was feeling.’ 

Mr Justice Morland recommended Farrow remain in custody for ‘very, very many years.’ 

Farrow has now had three parole hearings and has spent an additional five years in prison over his minimum term ‘for the protection of the public.’ 

He can apply for parole again in 2025. 

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk