Prisoner found guilty of murdering "Britain's worst paedophile"

Richard Huckle was strangled to death by 30-year-old Paul Fitzgerald in his cell last year

Richard Huckle had been called "Britain's worst paedophile"
Author: Yorkshire reporterPublished 23rd Nov 2020
Last updated 24th Nov 2020

A prisoner has been found guilty of murdering "Britain's worst paedophile'' in an attack he said was "poetic justice'' for the children Richard Huckle abused.

Jurors at Hull Crown Court took around an hour to convict Paul Fitzgerald of murder after a four-day trial.

Opening the case last week, Alistair MacDonald QC said the attack in October 2019 was designed to "humiliate and degrade'' Huckle, who Fitzgerald described as "Britain's worst paedophile''.

Mr MacDonald said Fitzgerald told doctors he had sexually assaulted Huckle, even though he did not find him sexually attractive.

The barrister said: "He felt that it was poetic justice and he wanted Richard Huckle to feel what all those children had felt.

"He said that Richard Huckle was a man who raped and abused children for fun and that he suspected that Richard Huckle had done more than merely rape his victims.

Paul Fitzgerald murdered Richard Huckle in his cell at HMP Full Sutton.

The court heard that Fitzgerald took a number of objects to Huckle's cell at HMP Full Sutton- including weapons fashioned by the defendant.

Mr MacDonald said: "This was a carefully planned and executed attack, in the course of which Mr Huckle had been subjected to a prolonged attack also designed to humiliate and degrade him.''

Fitzgerald denied murder and said his medical conditions - including mixed personality disorder, psychopathy and gender identity disorder - had impaired his ability to exercise self-control.

The court heard on Monday that the defendant said he had "constant ruminations'' in his mind about torture, rape and murder, and said: "My problem is I just don't have the ability to control myself.

He will be sentenced at Hull Crown Court on Tuesday.