Chris Gregg

Christopher Adam Gregg QPM (born September 1955) is a former Detective Chief Superintendent and was head of West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET). ^[1] Gregg joined the force in 1974 and as a constable was put on front-line duties in the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry in the Helen Rytka murder incident room. ^{[2] [3]} He left the force in 2008 to take up a senior position as an adviser ^[4] to a forensic service provider company, LGC Forensics. ^[2] In 2010 Gregg, together with Lord Stevens and Dr Angela Gallop, founded Axiom International Limited. ^[5]

Career

In his career, headed some high-profile criminal investigations including:

• The kidnap and murder in November 2000 of 16-year-old Leeds schoolgirl Leanne Tiernan by John Taylor, described at his trial in 2002 by the judge as a "sexual sadist". ^{[6] [7]} In February 2003, he was convicted of two rapes, based on DNA evidence, and given two additional life sentences. ^[8]
• The American fugitive David Bieber who murdered traffic PC Ian Broadhurst and attempted the murder of two other policemen on 26 December 2003. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]}
• Identification of the Yorkshire Ripper Hoaxer, John Humble, who was tried and sentenced in October 2005 – 25 years after the offence which was one of the most notorious – and damaging – hoaxes in criminal history. ^{[14] [15] [16] [17]} Gregg won £50,000 libel damages, plus costs, after being accused by Irish writer Noel O'Gara of "stitching up" John Humble as the writer of the hoax letters and sender of a tape recording purporting to be from the Yorkshire Ripper. ^{[18] [19] [20]}
• Serial killer Colin Norris, dubbed the 'Angel of Death' who murdered four elderly patients in a hospital in Leeds, receiving a life sentence in 2008. ^{[21] [22] [23]}
• Gregg led the enquiry into the Harold Shipman deaths in West Yorkshire, when Shipman, a practising medical doctor, was apprehended, later having 218 murders positively ascribed to him. ^[24]

On leaving the force he spoke against the misuse by suspected murderers of the protective shield of human rights legislation. ^{[25] [26] [27]}

Awards

• 2008: Gregg was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours. ^[28] Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Sir Norman Bettison described Gregg as one of the finest detectives the force had ever known. ^{[4] [29]}

References

1. Gregg talks about his career". BBC News. 19 May 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2010
2. "Chief is off after 30 years in force". Bradford Telegraph & Argus, 16 May 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2010
3. "The Yorkshire Ripper Files: A Very British Crime Story" Manhunt (TV Episode 2019) - IMDb , retrieved 31 August 2019
4. "Human rights law 'shielding rapists'" The Daily Telegraph. 13 May 2008 – Retrieved 18 March 2010
5. "Axiom International Key People"
6. BBC News" 8 July 2002. Retrieved 17 March 2010
7. "Documentary revisits murder and abduction of Leeds schoolgirl Leanne Tiernan". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
8. "The murder of Leanne Tiernan" ^{[ usurped ]} – Forensic cases. Retrieved 23 March 2010
9. CBS News" 16 February 2008 – Retrieved 18 March 2010
10. "Police killer will die in prison for brutal, cold-blooded crime". The Times. 3 December 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2010
11. "Hunt stepped up for police officer's killer". The Scotsman. 29 December 2003. Retrieved 20 March 2010
12. "Leeds PC shooting tragedy remembered". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
13. "Ex-officer fears for police safety". 26 December 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
14. Man still held over Ripper hoax". BBC News October 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2003
15. Ripper hoaxer sent to prison for eight years". The Independent. 22 March 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2010
16. 'Callous' Ripper hoaxer sent to prison for eight years". The Independent. 21 March 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
17. 'I did it because I was bored and on the dole'". Yorkshire Post. 21 March 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2010
18. "Ripper detective wins £50,000 damages" Archived 1 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine . Sunderland Echo, 11 March 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2010
19. "Former detective speaks out after Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer's death | Bradford Telegraph and Argus". www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
20. Thornton, Lucy (20 August 2019). "Police came so close to catching Wearside Jack hoaxer before Ripper struck again". mirror. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
21. Colin Norris, 'Angel of Death' nurse, jailed for life". The Daily Telegraph, 4 March 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2010
22. BBC TV News interview with Gregg after the trial". Retrieved 20 March 2010
23. Colin Norris, 'Angel of Death' nurse, jailed for life". Daily Telegraph. 4 March 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2010
24. "How Many More did Shipman Kill?" ^{[ dead link ]}. The Independent. 9 October 2001. Retrieved 23 March 2010
25. "Human Rights Law 'Shielding Rapists'" ^{[ dead link ]}. The Daily Telegraph, 13 May 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2010
26. "Human Rights 'Loopholes' Condemned". Daily Express, 13 May 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2010
27. Detective Attacks Criminals Pleas for Human Rights". Bradford Telegraph & Argus, 13 May 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2010
28. Queen's Birthday Honours 2008
29. "Human Rights Loophole Condemned". Daily Express. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2010