IT IS now almost eight years since a God-hating psychopath stabbed a vicar to death in Thornbury.
Rev John Suddards was killed by Stephen Farrow at St Mary’s vicarage, Castle Street.
On February 13, 2012 he turned up at the home of Mr Suddards and repeatedly stabbed him with a kitchen knife.
When the fatally injured vicar said he was going to die, Farrow swore and replied: “Hurry up and die.”
In a grisly scene he placed a picture of Jesus Christ and a mirror on the floor by Mr Suddard’s body.
Other items including gay pornography, party streamers and condoms were scattered around the corpse in an attempt to humiliate the clergyman.
He then went into the sitting room to have a beer and watch an Indiana Jones DVD.
A nationwide manhunt was launched for Farrow after the body of Mr Suddards was found the next day.
He was arrested five days later at a house in Folkestone, Kent, on suspicion of murdering Mr Suddards.
Farrow was also charged with murdering retired teacher Betty Yates in Bewdley, Worcestershire, in January 2012 and of committing a separate burglary at Vine Cottage in Thornbury over the Christmas and New Year period.
Two days before the killing of Betty he sent a text message to a friend which said the “church would be the first to suffer”
He had previously travelled to Canterbury with the intention of killing the then Archbishop Rowan Williams but was put off by the level of security.
Farrow was linked to the Thornbury murder by DNA evidence and a boot print, which was also found at Betty’s home.
He landed a double life sentence for the savage murders at Bristol Crown Court in November 2012. He was diagnosed as a psychopath and a pathological liar and was told by the judge he would never be released.
A European court rejected a later appeal that a life sentence with no chance of release breached his human rights.
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