One of Britain's most notorious female murderers, Joanne Dennehy, continues to pose a significant danger to staff and inmates more than a decade after her brutal killing spree, according to criminologists.
A Ten-Day Rampage of Murder
In 2013, Joanne Dennehy embarked on a horrific ten-day rampage across Peterborough, during which she stabbed three men to death. Her victims were her romantic partner, 31-year-old Lukasz Slaboszewski, fellow resident John Chapman, 56, and her landlord-turned-lover, Kevin Lee, 48.
Dennehy displayed a chilling lack of remorse, later describing the killings as "moreish and fun". After murdering the men, she discarded their bodies in a ditch at Thorney Dyke. She then went on the run and attacked two dog walkers, Robin Bereza, 64, and John Rogers, 56, who both survived the unprovoked stabbings.
The court heard how Dennehy "cast a spell" over her victims. She lured Slaboszewski, a heroin addict, to a house in Rolleston Garth with text messages. His body was later kept in a wheelie bin before disposal, and Dennehy shockingly showed his corpse to a teenage girl.
Kevin Lee's body was found dressed in a black sequin dress with his buttocks exposed, which the prosecution argued was a deliberate act of "post-death humiliation". Lee had previously revealed that Dennehy expressed a desire to "dress me up and rape me".
Life Behind Bars: An Unending Threat
Dennehy was convicted and in 2014 became only the fourth woman in British history to receive a whole-life tariff, meaning she will never be released. However, confinement has not curbed her threatening behaviour.
Upon arrival at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, she immediately issued threats against infamous serial killer Rose West, leading to West's relocation for her own safety. Dennehy was placed in solitary confinement, a measure described as necessary by authorities.
In 2016, she brazenly launched a failed High Court claim for damages over her isolation, arguing it breached her human rights. During proceedings, Jenni Richards QC, for the prison service, labelled Dennehy as "arguably the most dangerous female prisoner in custody".
The case revealed a chilling escape plot: Dennehy had planned to murder a prison officer and use their severed fingers to bypass biometric door locks. She dismissed a sketch of the plan found in her diary as a mere 'doodle'.
A Legacy of Violence and 'Shared Psychosis'
Her disturbing conduct continued. In 2020, she was moved to HMP Low Newton in County Durham following allegations of an affair with a male officer. There, she sparked a romance with fellow convicted killer Emma Aitken. A prison insider revealed the pair would "make cheesecake and trifles while other people are locked away", adding that other inmates were "scared of Joanne".
Criminologist Professor David Wilson states Dennehy is a rare female "spree killer" and may be beyond redemption. He suggests she and her accomplice, Gary Stretch, may have operated under a folie à deux or "madness of two", but that Dennehy was unequivocally the dominant, terrifying partner.
Author Christopher Berry-Dee, who met Dennehy while researching his book, called her "without doubt, the most evil person I have ever met", describing a "quiet and menacing" presence and an "acrid and dirty" smell of evil.
Her crimes are set to be revisited in a new Amazon Prime show, Confessionals of a Female Serial Killer, airing on December 7. The story of Joanne Dennehy remains a stark reminder of a unique and enduring threat, securely locked away yet forever dangerous.
