Joanna Dennehy, the woman who killed three men in a fortnight in 2013, has admitted she was driven by a thrill for violence. The 31-year-old, who was diagnosed with psychopathic anti-social personality disorder, said she murdered because she was bored or annoyed by her victims' unwanted attention.
Dennehy, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, had a history of explosive temper and violence. Doctors found she had paraphilia sadomasochism, deriving sexual pleasure from pain and humiliation. She consumed violent pornography and self-harmed, even during intercourse.
Despite a comfortable childhood, playing netball and hockey at school, Dennehy's life unravelled in her mid-teens. She ran away with an older man, had two children, and became estranged from her parents. She abused drugs and alcohol, and had a criminal record, but nothing suggested she would become a serial killer.
After her arrest, Dennehy was diagnosed with severe anti-social personality disorder. She showed no remorse for her crimes and was a skilled manipulator. She narrowly failed to kill two other men before being caught.
