Two men described as being 'in the thrall' of triple-murderer Joanna Dennehy have been convicted of offences related to her killing spree. Gary Stretch, 47, and Leslie Layton, 36, were found guilty at Cambridge Crown Court of attempted murder and preventing lawful burial, respectively. Prosecutors said the men 'revelled in bringing suffering and misery upon their victims and showed no remorse for their atrocious acts'.
Dennehy, 31, one of the UK's most high-profile killers, had previously pleaded guilty to murdering Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, Kevin Lee, 48, and John Chapman, 56, in and around Peterborough over a ten-day period. She also admitted attempting to murder two dog-walkers, John Rogers and Robin Bereza, and preventing the lawful burial of her victims.
During the trial, Dennehy was compared to a character in a Shakespearean tragedy, with prosecutors stating she 'cast a spell' over her accomplices and killed 'for fun'. Diagnosed with paraphilia sadomasochism, she was described as a 'sadistic serial killer with a fearsome personality' who manipulated the men into doing her bidding.
DCI Martin Brunning, who led the investigation, said: 'Three men were brutally murdered in Peterborough and two men were stabbed in West Mercia. Today their killer and her willing accomplices have now been brought to justice.' Chris McCann from the Crown Prosecution Service added that the accomplices 'revelled in bringing suffering and misery' and that Layton photographing one of the victims was 'testament to the warped nature of these crimes'.
All three await sentencing along with Robert Moore, 55, who previously admitted assisting an offender. The families of the victims expressed their devastation, with Kevin Lee's widow describing the tragedy as having 'shaken our lives to the core'.
