By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 8:53 AM on 29th December 2010
Jailed for life: Stephen Griffiths murdered three women but even before the killings, police were aware of his anti-social behaviour
Police feared ‘Crossbow Cannibal’ Stephen Griffiths was a serial killer in the making – but were powerless to act, a source has claimed.
Griffiths, who was jailed for life last week for murdering three vice girls, was being watched two years before he killed them.
Officers had already seized a haul of hunting knives and a crossbow.
And a former senior management source with Accent, the housing company which ran the block of flats where Griffiths lived, has revealed that police worried it was only a matter of time before he killed.
Managers of the block in Bradford had been alerted by a policeman after librarians reported Griffiths was reading books on human dismemberment.
Housing staff insisted no females went alone to speak with Griffiths after neighbours reported threats and sinister behaviour towards women. The association was so concerned it even gave the male caretaker a panic alarm.
Griffiths had formed ‘platonic’ relationships with at least two women residents in Holmfield Court, where he rented a £60-a-week, one-bedroom flat.
At first they described him as polite and friendly. But when it became clear he had sex in mind and his advances were refused, he became aggressive.
Staff built up a huge dossier of complaints on Griffiths with Bradford police and a better CCTV system was fitted around the building in case it was needed as back-up in court.
But police didn’t even have a strong enough case for an anti-social behaviour order – an Asbo.
In 2008, the manager left for a new job and the case was left on file, with no avenue for police to act – despite the warnings.
Then, this year, 40-year-old Griffiths was arrested after the discovery of the hacked-up bodies of his three victims.
The victims: Susan Rushworth, 43, Suzanne Blamires, 36, and Shelley Armitage, 31 were found hacked-up earlier this year
When the source heard of the arrest, he rang police and told murder squad officers: ‘You’ve got loads on this man already. I can fill in the gaps.’
He explained: ‘The background on Griffiths had been left on file. My job finished and I moved on, police officers involved were relocated. But all the while the danger within Griffiths was building.
‘I felt somehow guilty when I saw what he had done, but the police had their hands tied. They could do nothing until something happened. The housing company worked with the police. We believed he would kill, we all thought he was a serial killer in the making.’
In a statement to police, the source had said: ‘A police officer told me that during an earlier visit Griffiths had a number of hunting-style knives, other weapons and a crossbow. These were confiscated.
‘He also advised me that he was greatly concerned about Griffiths and Accent staff should take care when dealing with him.'
Weaponry: One of the crossbows belonging to murderer Stephen Griffiths
The source continued: ‘I concluded there wasn’t any action that Accent could take at that time but I advised my staff that if we received any further complaints I wanted to know immediately.
‘I had hoped that there might be evidence that would allow us to obtain an Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction against Griffiths to prohibit certain behaviour from him towards others, but unfortunately the evidence was historical and wouldn’t allow us to act.
‘Griffiths was warned about his behaviour after complaints but reacted angrily.
‘I recall that a letter was sent to Griffiths advising him of the complaint and asking him to contact the investigating officer.
‘I was in the office one day and received a telephone call from Griffiths responding to the letter. He was very aggressive in manner. He did not swear but made threats of taking legal action against Accent. I advised him to be aware of the allegations and to ensure he didn’t engage in any activity that may be deemed anti social.’
Convicted killer: A West Yorkshire Police photograph of 'Crossbow cannibal' Stephen Griffiths
Last week Griffiths was jailed for life after admitting the murder of Shelley Armitage, 31, Suzanne Blamires, 36, and Susan Rushworth, 43. All vanished from the same
red-light district in Bradford.
The source added: ‘There must be an inquiry into what avenues can be explored when we have such a lot of evidence against someone, coupled with a genuine belief that harm or murder will surely follow, to be able to stop them.’
West Yorkshire Police said the force was not in a position to comment at this stage.
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