Stephen Farrow dead: Vile killer who stabbed vicar and pensioner to death dies behind bars after being jailed for life
A KILLER given two whole life terms for the horrific murders of a vicar and a pensioner has died at a top security prison.
God-hating loner Stephen Farrow, 58, battered Betty Yates, 77, with her walking stick before stabbing her four times in the neck and face.
He later knifed Rev John Suddards, 59, at his vicarage and covered his body in gay porn DVDs in a bizarre bid to “spoil his reputation”.
After a three-week trial, twisted Farrow was found guilty of double murder and was jailed at Bristol Crown Court in 2012.
He died at Durham‘s HMP Frankland on Monday. The Prison Service has not revealed a cause of death.
It said: “HMP Frankland prisoner Stephen Farrow died on 21 August.
“As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”
Before 6ft 4in Farrow started his killing spree he broke into a cottage in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, while the owners were away.
He left a chilling note — pinned to their kitchen table with two knives — reading: “Be thankful you did not come back or we would have killed you Christian scum. I f***ing hate God.”
He then went to Bewdley, Worcestershire, and entered the home of widow Betty in January.
A month after butchering the retired teacher he returned to Thornbury to kill Rev Suddards.
After the murder, Farrow — who claimed to have been abused by a priest as a child — watched an Indiana Jones DVD before leaving a hammer and nails with which he had intended to crucify the vicar.
A huge manhunt was launched and he was arrested in Folkestone, Kent, when a woman he was staying with called 999.
Farrow admitted the burglary and the manslaughter of Rev Suddards on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but denied fatally stabbing Betty.
Sentencing him at Bristol Crown Court, judge Mr Justice Richard Field said he had acted sadistically in the “dreadful, horrific killings”.
Indicating that Farrow would never go free, the judge said: “There is no question in this case of the imposition of a minimum term.”
Betty’s children, Hazel and David, described their mum as “kind, determined and above all good fun”.
But they added: “We should all be relieved and thankful that Stephen Farrow is off the streets of Britain today.”