ARTHUR HUTCHINSON

WEDDING DAY KILLER ARTHUR HUTCHINSON SENTENCED FOR LIFE

In 1983, Arthur Hutchinson was on the run from law enforcement after murdering three members of a family and raping another at knifepoint in Sheffield.

The crime occurred shortly after a wedding celebration in a marquee, where Hutchinson broke into the house of the Laitner family at Dore near Sheffield.

He viciously attacked Basil and Avril Laitner, their son Richard, and repeatedly raped their daughter Nicola, who identified Hutchinson later based on her description to police.

Following the murders and rape, Hutchinson evaded arrest for 39 days, moving through multiple counties and disguising himself.

He was finally captured after police surveillance and a tip-off led to him being cornered in a turnip field.

He was disarmed of the knife he had used and overpowered by police.

Hutchinson was tried at Durham Crown Court, where he maintained his innocence but was found guilty of all charges, including three murders and rape.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years, which was later extended to a whole life tariff, meaning he would never be released.

Despite appeals and legal challenges claiming his human rights were violated, courts upheld his life sentence, and he was placed on a list of prisoners who must never be released.

The case was described by judges as the worst they had ever adjudicated, citing the heinous nature of his crimes and his continued denials of guilt.