icLiverpool - Man held over Ripper killings
icLiverpool logo
icLiverpool Liverpool Echo Liverpool Daily Post LDP Business Homes Jobs Merseyside Motors Dating
Search icLiverpool for:


Man held over Ripper killings

Jul 22 2003

Mark Hookham Daily Post Staff

 

Mark Corner

A 26-YEAR-OLD man was last night being questioned by police on suspicion of murder after two Ripper-style killings in Liverpool.

The massive investigation was launched yesterday after bin bags dumped in an alley were found to contain the remains of two women.

Police yesterday afternoon named Mark Corner, of St Domingo Vale, Everton, as a man they wanted to question in relation to the killings.

Then, at around 9.30pm, armed police surrounded a property in Dunluce Street, Walton, the home of Corner's parents, Billy and Ann-Marie.

Police entered the house and, after a 15-minute stand-off, Corner was led out of the front door in handcuffs and bundled into a police van.

It is believed detectives had been keeping the house under surveillance through the afternoon.

Jack Mills, 48, who lives across the road, said: "About seven or eight police vans came around the corner and told everyone to get out of the street.

"A load of armed police then lined up in front of the house.

"It all went very quietly and there didn't seem to be a struggle.

"There were two CID people outside our house all afternoon in a car keeping an eye on the house."

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "His parents are lovely.

"They've lived in the street for years. I feel really sorry for them.

"Their son was a bit of a night-owl and used to come back to their place at all hours."

Corner, who has one brother who is also in his twenties, is believed to have only recently moved to St Domingo Vale.

His house is in the same area of Everton where police discovered bin bags containing the naked body parts of two women.

Police were taken to the bin bags by a 13-year-old schoolboy whose mother had noticed a strong smell in the alleyway.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: "There were police in the gardens doing searches and I noticed a really strong smell.

"My son took the police to the alleyway. He said there were about three or four bags there.

"It's really shaken him up and he hasn't eaten since.

"He is round at his friend's tonight and is not talking to anyone about it.

"We are all absolutely terrified. It's a terrible thing to happen and none of us can really believe it."

She said she thought Mr Corner was new to the area.

She said: "I've only seen him once and that was last week. He was going into his house with a girl who had mousy hair."

One of the victims is believed to be missing prostitute Pauline Stephen. Pathologists were last night trying to identify the second woman.

Miss Stephen, 25, from Skelmersdale, was known to work on the streets of Everton near to where the dismembered bodies were found.

She went missing 10 days ago and on Friday night her car, a white Ford Escort, was found abandoned in Everton.

On Saturday, police found the dumped clothes Pauline had been last seen wearing and at 7pm on Sunday bin bags containing chopped-up body parts were discovered in an alleyway off St Domingo Vale.

At 5pm yesterday, police announced the bags contained a second female body.

Miss Stephen's mother, Pat Brown, 47, from Netherton, last week spoke of how she feared her daughter was dead.

She was last night being comforted by police family liaison officers and was too upset to comment any further.

Miss Stephen's eight-year-old son was being comforted by his family.

Her brother, Douglas Stephen, said: "The police have told us what they found yesterday. This is a terrible time for us."

Miss Stephen, who had a partner Mark Ryder, 35, grew up in Liverpool but was living in Skelmersdale when she went missing.

Police said the bodies had been subject to frenzied attacks. Experts were trying to identify the second set of body parts through fingerprints, dental records and distinguishing marks, such as tattoos.

Chief Supt Mike Langdon, who is in charge of policing in north Liverpool, last night advised prostitutes not to use the area while the killer remains at large. "Obviously, at the moment, it would be preferable for them not to use unsafe routes to ply their trade."

Related stories:

City councillors call for urgent action to protect prostitutes

Extra police patrols to reassure sex workers

Gun police hold man in double death quiz

 

Top Top | Back Back |

E-mail to a friend | Printable version

 


 

Copyright and Trade Mark Notice
© 2010 owned by or licensed to Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited.
icLiverpool™ is a trade mark of Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited.
Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement before using this site.
 

Find your new job:
 
 
  e.g. secretary

 

 

Free money-off coupons
Save money on name brand products with our printable money-off coupons - here

RSS  News RSS Feed
(what's this?)