This week marks fifteen years since one of Britain's most notorious serial killers, Stephen Griffiths, was caged for life. Dubbed the 'Crossbow Cannibal', Griffiths admitted to the murder, dismemberment and cannibalism of three women in Bradford. As he faces another Christmas behind bars, a grim picture of his violent and troubled prison life has emerged.
The Bradford Flat of Horrors
Stephen Griffiths was arrested in May 2010 after a building caretaker discovered shocking CCTV footage. The video showed his final victim, 36-year-old Suzanne Blamires, fleeing his apartment before Griffiths – armed with a crossbow – struck her unconscious and dragged her back inside. The killer smirked and raised his middle finger at the camera.
When West Yorkshire Police tactical officers, including PC Adam Twigg, stormed the flat days later, they discovered a scene of unimaginable horror. Griffiths was found sitting calmly on his bed. Upon being read his rights, he chillingly stated: "I'm Osama bin Laden."
The search for Suzanne revealed her remains had been grotesquely displayed. A portion of a brain was found in the microwave, with another on a plate on the coffee table. Next to it lay a pair of amputated breasts. It was later confirmed that 81 pieces of Suzanne's body were recovered from the nearby River Aire.
A Trail of Murder and Cannibalism
Suzanne Blamires was, in fact, Griffiths' third victim. His killing spree began with Susan Rushworth, 43, who vanished in June 2009. He killed her with a hammer, used machine tools to dismember her body, and consumed parts of her flesh. Her remains have never been found.
His second victim was Shelley Armitage, 31, reported missing in April 2010. She was shot with a crossbow, dismembered, and partially eaten. Disturbing footage from Griffiths' phone later showed her body in his bathtub with the words "My sex slave" spray-painted on her back.
Griffiths, a criminology PhD student who admired the Yorkshire Ripper, pleaded guilty to all three murders. He proudly coined his own moniker, the 'Crossbow Cannibal', in court. On December 21, 2010, he received a whole life order, meaning he will never be released.
Violence and Fear Behind Bars
Life in maximum-security prisons has been far from peaceful for the triple killer, now in his mid-fifties. His incarceration has been punctuated by severe violence and repeated brushes with death.
In 2010, prior to his conviction, he inflicted "superficial wounds" upon himself in an act of self-harm at HMP Wakefield, requiring treatment from prison healthcare staff.
A far more serious attack occurred in 2019 at HM Prison Long Lartin. Another inmate attempted to drive a wooden spear through Griffiths' heart, leaving him with a large puncture wound to his chest. He was left screaming in pain until officers intervened.
The violence has continued recently. In November 2024, he was reportedly knocked unconscious by a single punch from an inmate who was a friend of his murdered victim, Suzanne Blamires. A source suggested the attacker was enraged at being housed on the same wing as his friend's killer.
Earlier this year, on Valentine's Day, Griffiths was allegedly battered in another confrontation at HMP Full Sutton. After reportedly threatening to kill someone, he was said to have instigated a fight with another prisoner which left him "too scared to leave his cell."
Fifteen years into his eternal sentence, Stephen Griffiths' notoriety continues to shape a prison existence defined by fear, violence, and the inescapable consequences of his own monstrous actions.
